Small World, It's
by Winterwing3000
Summary: Heartbroken by Inuyasha's secret engagment, Rin fled to another continent meeting the person who would take her heart and mend it. But there are accusations and torn decisions to be made before Rin can live happily ever after. AU SR/IR
1. Chapitre 1

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 1, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

A brunette dozed comfortably on her couch. Her hand was hanging limply down the edge and the blue comforter slipped off her body as she rolled over, snuggling deeper into the couch. 

BRING! BRING!

Her eyes started, and in haste, she fell off the couch. Grabbing the phone, she pulled it down with her to the ground. Yawning, she answered. "Rin here, who's this?"

There was a husky chuckle before the other person said, "Is that how you always answer the phone Rin?"

Immediately, Rin sat up, smoothing down her tousled hair, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "Inuyasha! Why are you calling me when you should be at work?"

"Did you forget the day of the week or are you still asleep?" he asked wryly. Confused, she glanced over at the calendar on her door and saw that it was Sunday. She giggled, embarrassed.

"Um, yeah. Sorry. So what's up?" Rin stood up and folded her blanket, then headed off to her kitchen.

"Do I need a reason to call my best friend?"

"Well, no. But how many times in my life do you just randomly call me on a Sunday?" she pressed on her coffee machine, watching as the steam steadily rose.

"Plenty of times!" Inuyasha said indignantly. "Anyway, since you're not busy," (he ignored the snort from Rin), "I want to meet me at the park in about 20 minutes. Think you can make it?"

"Uh, sure why not. Wait, this isn't about the prank I pulled on you last week, is it?" she asked him suspiciously.

"Now that you reminded me about it. I was planning on…" Inuyasha started leisurely, until Rin interrupted him. "Ah… I've gotta go and get ready. So I'll see you there, bye!"

Turning off her phone, the brunette sighed.

* * *

Inuyasha chortled as he heard the dial tone. Picking up the keys from the table by the door, he looked into the mirror for the second. 

His reflection met his gaze. He had long silver hair and shocking amber eyes. The most surprising trait of his was his ears. They were atop of his head, triangular and twitched sensitively. Because of his different appearance, making friends was difficult. However, Rin accepted him easily.

Breathing out heavily, he ran a hand through his hair and pressed a speed dial on his cell.

"Hello?"

"Hey it's me. I'm coming over in like 5 minutes."

"Why?"

"I want to tell someone special about it."

"Oh, sure! I'll see you then, bye Inu!"

"Bye." Inuyasha slipped his cell back into his pocket and headed out to his car.

* * *

Rin hummed as she looked from side to side, hoping the catch sight of her best friend. She wore a striped skirt and a green tee-shirt. Her hair was tied into two pig tails, her bangs framing her face. 

She checked her watch, making sure that she didn't arrive too early, which she didn't.

BEEP BEEP!

"Huh?" she saw Inuyasha across the street, smirking at her and waved once. Rolling her chocolate eyes, Rin crossed the street and gave him a big hug, which he returned.

"So? What is it that you wanted to show me on this Sunday afternoon?" she looked at him expectantly.

"Um… actually… she's in my car." He thumbed over to the silver Mercedes a few parking spots behind him.

"Oh… well, let's go then!" Rin said with a small smile, a bit worried. Inuyasha offered a hand to her, and she took it. They walked over to his car and someone came out from the passenger seat.

The brunette held her breath and stopped in her tracks when she saw a raven haired girl stepping out, a bit taller than her. She had blue eyes and her curves were accented by her yellow sunflower summer dress.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, perplexed at her reaction, but tugged on her arm. "Come on, Rin. Don't tell me you've got cold feet meeting my fiancée."

Rin nearly tripped over her feet and bit back a remark. _Fiancée!_

They both stopped in front of the girl and Inuyasha detached his hand from hers and wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulders, pulling her close to his body.

"Rin, I want you to meet Kagome Higurashi. She's my fiancée. Kagome, this is Rin, my best friend ever since I was young." Inuyasha introduced.

Rin's heart and world shattered, breaking into millions of pieces. Her dream of Inuyasha and she being together forever was never going to come true again. He has another in her place. Now… she's nothing. After all these years, she thought that he knew how she felt about him, and thought that he felt the same…

"Hi, nice to meet you Rin! Inuyasha's told me a lot about you." Kagome said, holding out a hand and smiled.

The stunned brunette steeled herself to act normally. Returning the smile, Rin shook her hand. "It is great to meet you too."

"Why don't we all have lunch together? I want to know you better Rin. After all, Inuyasha was thinking about asking you to be the maid of honor in the wedding!" Kagome suggested. "Right Inuyasha?"

"Yeah." He returned, kissing her on the cheek.

Rin bit her lip, holding back her tears when she saw him kiss her. "Um, thanks but maybe another day. I've got a deadline on my newest book to meet and my boss asked me out to a lunch date last week."

That was a complete lie. There was no deadline; she already handed in her latest chapters last week. And she and her boss never got along and would never in a million years. Heck, she'll probably be friends with an alligator first.

Kagome looked disappointed and Inuyasha looked almost doubtful at her words. "I thought you hate your boss." he stated bluntly.

Inwardly, Rin whacked herself. Inuyasha knew practically about every relationship she had in her life, especially about the one with her boss since she ranted about it how much she hated him every other day.

"Well… this one is different. I'm meeting a new publisher! The old one seemed crappy. So, yeah. I'll see you guys some other time! Bye!" she forced another cheerful smile before spinning around on her heels to go in the opposite direction.

"Wait, Rin!" Inuyasha called out. She pretended to miss his call from the traffic and continued walking.

If she stayed another minute there with them, she won't know how much longer she could keep her tears in tact or if she could ever mend her heart. Sniffing, Rin drew out a tissue from her small handbag and turned the corner, went straight home and have a good cry.

Wiping away her tears, she hugged her pillow closer to herself. The clock beside her continued to tick in the quiet room and the lamp flickered on. Turning to her table, she picked up a wrought silver photo frame. A picture of Inuyasha and her from their graduation was behind the glass.

They had so many good times together. Everyone at school and on campus would know the two as inseparable. It was always Inuyasha and Rin or Rin and Inuyasha. No one at school didn't know who they were. During parties, dances, and school funds, they were always together. They even shared the same classes and electives.

Sighing sadly, she set it on her bed then stared at her wall, where there were posters of different female sports players and classics of Broadway. Blinking, an idea came into her mind. If she wasn't here, then she wouldn't have to face Inuyasha and Kagome. She wasn't an "anybody" anymore. Maybe… she could start a new life.

Somewhere else without Inuyasha.

**

* * *

AN:** New story! It will have short chapters and a heck of a crazy plot. I'll keep the ending pairings till much later notice, so keep guessing!


	2. Chapitre 2

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 2, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Letting out a frustrated growl, Rin fisted her hair and pushed away her blinking laptop. For nearly two weeks, she's been trying to find a publisher abroad, maybe even a new editor too if she were lucky. But so far, none of them would accept her proposal. She slouched, arms crossed. 

Her books wouldn't be the 'top sellers' they say. She was an excellent writer, but lacked the popularity in other countries other than Japan and eastern China. Frankly, she just thought they wanted to be paid more. France, Britain, Spain, even Germany declined her form._ Why were all these men so arrogant?_

She grabbed her lukewarm coffee and gulped it down, ignoring the bitter taste lingering on her mouth.

Inuyasha's been dropping by with Kagome a few times now, and since she had nowhere else to go while they were here, Rin managed to keep herself together. She just couldn't fall apart every time she saw them, even though the pain was overwhelming her senses. Hopefully, she'll live through another week before she moved.

That is, if she even moves.

There was a small beeping sound coming from her computer, alerting her that there was email. Sitting up straight, she opened it and skimmed through its content. Her brown eyes dilated in surprise. This couldn't be right… she must be exhausted. Rin pulled it towards her, and read it again.

"_Ms Rin. Seijun,_

_I have read through your proposal and I have decided to interview you. Your work has caught my interest and I will be willing to help you publish it as long as you agree to certain terms that I have. I have set an appointment on the first Wednesday of the next month._

_I hope to meet you in my New York office in America. More information shall be sent to you in a few weeks. Please respond ASAP to confirm your appointment._

_Your regards,_

_Sesshomaru T."_

Her heart raced. America. And in the Big Apple no less! This was her chance! Smiling the slightest, she typed back a reply. The picture on her bed table was placed face down.

She could finally escape. Only four days left. Now, to find a way to tell Inuyasha…

* * *

"WHAT! What do you mean you're quitting!" Her boss snarled and his hands slammed on his table. The papers scattered everywhere and Rin winced. Boy she felt sorry for the secretary, who could even put up with this man for a whole day? 

Clearing her throat, Rin looked determinedly into his beady eyes. "I've said it once, I'll say it again. I'm leaving your publishing firm. I've been scouting for a replacement and I found one in America. So thank you for your past effort. Here's the last check, deposit fee and all." She handed him an envelope, but he didn't take it. He only frowned at her and lit his cigarette.

"I'm not taking it." He said defiantly.

"And why ever not? It isn't like my work has been doing your company any good. So think of this as a win-win situation for you." she told him and slid it in front of him. The white envelope remained untouched, but he did glance at it every now and then.

Snorting, the man took it. "Fine, it's your loss girl."

Smiling a bit passively, Rin merely said, "I know."

As she turned to leave, her former boss said to her, "You are a good writer. But you have no true heart in it. That's why… one day; you'll succeed, one day."

Turning back, she smiled a bit happily, "Thank you sir. And have a good afternoon."

* * *

Everything right now was going according to schedule. The confrontation with her ex-employer was done. She returned the keys and received her safety deposit back from her landlord. All her bank accounts, insurance papers and passport to the "land of opportunities" were confirmed. The plane ticket arrived a few hours ago. 

Exhaling deeply, she wiped away the sweat from her forehead. Packing all her stuff was easier said than done. The kitchen was done, since there weren't many utilities. Her clothes and personal belongings were packed into two suitcases. All that's left was her living room… which was filled with antique. Maybe she should just cash some of them at the antique store downtown. She couldn't afford shipping them by sea. That's too expensive. And if they were delivered by air, they would break.

But each of them was so special to her. Rin took a vase and stared at it. What to do…

She sat down onto her couch, vase still in her hands.

It was finally what she wanted. To escape from this torment and heartbreak. Yet, it is so hard to leave. She was born and raised in this neighborhood, and she met Inuyasha at school. Sighing, she hugged the flowering pot.

It was her decision and there was no way she's going to back out of it. "Think about your new life… Inuyasha doesn't need you anymore. He's… getting married." She sniffed, allowing a few tears to fall before the phone rang.

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she picked up the cordless phone and set down the vase. "Hello?"

"Hey Rin! This is Kagome! Inuyasha wanted me to call you and tell you that there's a party at his house, for our… engagement, at seven. So you'll be coming right?"

The brunette chewed on her lip. "Um… I'm not so sure. I'm really busy today, so many deadlines you know." It was true. Her flight was at ten, and she still has to finish all this packing!

"Oh… um, Inuyasha would be disappointed if you didn't come!" Kagome reasoned. Then before Rin could answer, she heard a few scuffles and a gruff voice came on the phone. "Oi, Rin? What's wrong with you? You're not ditching me on something so important are you?"

"I-Inuyasha. No… I'm just busy!" she refuted, her voice somewhat hoarse. Rin swore that she could see the scowl on his face. "Busy with what? Can't you hold back the deadline for one day?"

"But-!" Rin started, "No buts! You did that once, and you could do it again. It's only a small party! Can't you just come tonight, for me?" he said, almost pleadingly.

"I…" she grew hesitant. "Fine, but I'm only staying there for half and hour or so."

"Great! I'll see you there then! Bye!" Inuyasha hung up before she could say anything else.

Sighing, she pressed the power button and fell back onto her couch. With an arm covering her eyes, she said to nothing in particular. "This is going to be a long night."

* * *

Rin came out of the taxi and paid the driver. She also asked him to come back in an hour to drive her to the airport. He agreed and sped off. Calming herself, Rin walked up to the front door and rang the bell. 

The music was blasting from the window and she saw a lot of shadows from behind the shades. Small party huh? Inuyasha probably invited everyone around the block! The door flew open just when she was about to knock on it. Inuyasha with Kagome peering from behind him was standing in front of her. "Rin!" Kagome went and hugged the brunette. "I'm so glad that you were able to come!"

"Yeah, me too." She said half-heartedly before looking at her best friend. "Congratulations Inuyasha!" she said with a fake smile.

"Thanks." The silver haired man returned, pulling her to a hug. Rin felt a lump form in her throat as she rested her head on his shoulder. The hug… it was so comfortable, so warm and familiar. She resisted the urge to hug him again when he pulled away. It felt so cold and empty when he let of her.

"Enjoy the party! Come on, dance Rin!" Kagome said encouragingly, pulling the younger girl along. They came to the middle of the living room, where a slow song suddenly came on. Couples paired up and started moving slowly. Every now and then Rin felt someone bumping into her. Looking around for Inuyasha she was hoping to ask him to dance with her. But instead, she found him. With Kagome, his fiancée.

Rin retreated to a corner near a wall, a small root beer in hand. With a pang of jealousy, she watched them dance together. Why did he choose her when she was always by his side? Why wasn't Kagome ever mentioned to her during their talks? Didn't she deserve to know earlier? Wasn't she his best friend?

Sighing, she pushed away those thoughts. She would _not_ act this way. Checking her wristwatch, she noticed that it was just about time.

BEEEEP!

Peeking out the window, she saw her taxi driver outside, smoking. Tossing out her empty cup, she opened the door and went out to her waiting ride. Inuyasha happened to see her walk out and told Kagome to wait for him, then went after Rin.

"Rin!" he held the door just before it closed. Rin looked backwards, astounded. "Yeah?"

"You're going already? Stay a while longer, please?" Inuyasha said, going up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, intending to bring her back to the house.

"I can't. The driver…" Rin stuttered. "And I've got deadlines, remember?"

"Are they more important than me?" he demanded, looking positively irritated.

Heaving a sigh, she said no. "But my work is important Inuyasha. Anyway, you've got Kagome! She's probably waiting, that poor girl. So go and make her happy. Call me if you want anything, okay?" she let out a small smile, neither forced nor fake. "Goodbye Inuyasha." She hugged him and let go quickly.

Inuyasha watched her leave, not knowing the true meanings behind her words.

* * *

Rin checked herself in and sat down in one of the chairs by the terminal entrance. She managed to sell most of her ancient furniture and kept a few that would probably last through the eighteen hour flight, with all the connections. The large windows next to her showed the great black sky and the seemingly endless airplane lanes. The orange and red lights lined up in columns and rows. 

She picked up a magazine and flipped through a few pages. Suddenly something vibrated on her side. Realizing that it was her phone, she picked it up. "Hello, Rin here."

"Rin? What's wrong with your home phone?" Rin's expression was priceless. Let Inuyasha be blunt. "There's nothing wrong with it. Why'd you ask?" she said, somewhat innocently.

"I kept getting the operator. Is your phone line down or did you change your number?"

"Um… neither." Oh, did he catch her at a bad time! How was she going to get out of this?

"_All passengers of the ten o'clock, Flight 56A to Los Angelus please start boarding. Stewardesses and stewards shall be escorting you if there are difficulties. Please have your ticket ready. Thank you for taking the American Airline, please enjoy your flight."_

"RIN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING AT THE AIRPORT!" Rin flinched when she heard the angry tone.

"I… have to go now, bye Inuyasha!" Rin hung up and pressed the power button. Inuyasha, without doubt, would try and call her again and dig the truth out of her. Damn, she should've canceled her cell phone too!

Rin grabbed the suitcase handle and rolled over to the long line. A small tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

Inuyasha cursed as he slammed his car into park and ran into the airport. He immediately ran to the information desk. "Which terminal's for the flight to Los Angelus at ten?" 

"Terminal 6B." the lady told him, but Inuyasha was already off to the escalator, sidestepping people. By the time he reached the terminal, he saw no one there. The captains were filing on board. One of the attendants stopped him from following into the plane.

"I'm sorry sir, but where's your ticket?" he asked.

"Don't have one! Can't you see I'm trying to get someone off?" he said angrily. "She doesn't belong in there!" Inuyasha wrestled off the arm but two more male attendants came over and hauled him back.

"RIN! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" he screamed predatorily, fighting against the holds on him. Finally, he gave up when the door closed. The men released him, but stood close in case he attempted to break through the door.

Inuyasha fell to his knees and hands. His long hair covered his face. "You can't do this to me… Why?"

**

* * *

AN:** Teehee! I've got the second chapter out! But don't expect frequent chapters. The only reason I'm whipping them out so quick is because I'm taking a school break. But, thank you so much for reading!

**Sphinx : **Thank you! First reviewer! And you'll see things as they go, so stay alert!

**Ladyrinremix : **Yes, I'm writing another full length Inuyasha story. It is sudden, but I can't seem to get it out of my head right now. And for now, you can guess what the final pairings are. Things will get interesting too! So enjoy the roller coaster!

**Icygirl2 : **Lol, it seems that everyone wants to know who is going to end up with Rin! but sorry, I can't tell you. It would be unfair and not fun to suddenly spoil the surprise. And her boss isn't important; he plays a very minor roll in this story. So don't worry about him. And thank you for reading **30 Kisu**! Happy New Years to you as well!

**MindIIBody :** Thank you.


	3. Chapitre 3

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 3, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

"Um, excuse me, miss? It is time to wake up. The flight has landed in New York City." A stewardess shook Rin awake. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes of sleep and felt that her cheeks were still wet. Murmuring a thank you, Rin retrieved her bags overhead and exited the plane. 

During the first few hours of her flight, Rin had been crying almost endlessly. She was lucky enough to be sitting nearby the back since being near the middle meant that she wouldn't have her privacy. She just gave her ticket and went into the tube when she heard Inuyasha shouting for her. His words continued to play over and over in her head, wrenching her heart.

"_Rin! I'll never forgive you for this! You can't do this!"_

Somehow, she had refrained herself from going back and apologize. Rarely did Inuyasha sound so desperate and agonized. Half of her wanted to go back, to forget that she even bothered with the stupid idea of going to New York and ask for his forgiveness. But her mind was urging her to move on with her life. It wasn't her fault to start with, it was his. He chose Kagome so he doesn't need her anymore.

She choked back a sob and continued to walk towards the plane, and nearly ran to her seat with silent tears going down her face. The rest of the flight after the connection was quiet. All the crying and thinking taxed her mind, so she welcomed it.

Sighing, Rin looked around her, analyzing the airport. Signs were everywhere yet she couldn't see the exit sign. Didn't the email say that there was going to be a chauffer picking her up? Dropping her shoulders, the brunette decided to ask for directions at the information service counter, that is if she could find it first.

* * *

"Thanks!" said Rin as she took the map of New York City. Good thing she took a four year English course back in college, otherwise, she wouldn't know how to communicate with the people here. She went over to grab a cart for all her luggage and found her suitcases and boxes. After checking all of her things, she finally arrived to where the taxis were waiting. 

She pulled one over and asked him to bring her to the Hyatt hotel nearby the Empire State Building. Throughout the ride, she saw the busy streets filled with bustling people. Shops had their doors opened and there were single stands selling accessories. The traffic was heavy and horns were loud all around. The tall buildings were a bit intimidating but the sun shined brightly. The streets looked almost identical to each other and Rin could barely keep count of the turns and bridges they crossed. It seemed that she would need to learn all of the streets from now on; otherwise, she'll be easily lost.

She paid her bill and managed to get a room despite the busy hours and reservations at the hotel. When she made it to the 6th floor, Rin found her room by the end of the hallway. Sliding the card through, the machine beeped and flashed green and the door itself clicked opened. The door man who was following her with her luggage unloaded them and was handed a $15 tip.

The sky outside was pitch black, it must be past midnight now. She was more awake than exhausted so Rin decided to unpack her clothing. The drawer came in handy so she kept most of her clothes there and her other stuff inside the bathroom. Her time here would probably be for life, so she really should get an apartment somewhere.

Sitting down onto floor, she finally pulled out the last thing at the bottom of her case. It was the photograph of her past. Standing up, she fell back into the bed. She could feel the tears coming back to her eyes. Heaving for a deep breath, Rin squeezed her eyes tight and trapped the frame between her, hoping to dispel the past.

She was finally here. She has to start anew now.

But… Could she really do it? Her question went unanswered as she slowly dozed off on top of the blankets.

* * *

"See you tomorrow Inu." Kagome gave him a quick kiss on the lips and pulled back from the hug. She was a bit disappointed from the lack of response of the kiss but that was made up with the hug. 

"Bye." Inuyasha said, which was muffled since his face was in her hair. He walked down the stairs with her, his eyes concentrated on the floor and his usual attentive ears were drooping.

He showed her out the door and watched as she waved to him and went into her mother's car, which was waiting outside of his driveway. Just as he closed the door, his mother came from around the corner. Izayoi was a human. Her dark brown-black hair was lush and reached near the floor. She looked almost as young as Inuyasha, if not, younger. But her warm coffee eyes were old and wise.

Izayoi walked over to her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Did Kagome leave?"

Inuyasha sighed, shrugging off her hand. "Yeah."

"Is there something wrong Inuyasha?" she was soft-spoken, even though she raised a rowdy boy like Inuyasha. Something dawned upon her. "Is it… Rin? Did something happen to her?" Izayoi watched Inuyasha grow up with Rin and raised the orphaned girl second-handedly. She treated her as if her own child along with Inuyasha.

"Feh, whatever happens to Rin, I don't care anymore." The hanyou snapped and went back up to his room, slamming the door in process. He kicked at the pile of magazines and watched as it slopped all over his floor.

It was true, he doesn't care anymore. He shouldn't care about her. She abandoned him when they were supposed to be together forever. It was a promise they made when they were much younger. His amber eyes wandered around the room and spotted a picture of their time in high school. He took it into his hand and saw how happy they used to be.

Growling, he went out to the balcony with it in hand. The sun was starting to set, casting soft hues of yellow, orange, and red over the neighborhood houses. Most of the times, Rin and he would sit up on the roof of the house or of her apartment building and watch as it slowly sets.

Now, there was no one to watch sunsets with, to talk with, and to joke around with. All because she left him without an explanation. At least she could have told him that she was leaving or how long she was going to be gone! But no…

That thought alone fueled his anger once more. Inuyasha raised the hand holding onto the picture and swung it back, prepared to toss it into the unknown. It swung forward, but for some reason, his grip became tighter on it. He tried again and again, but to no avail. His hand would not let go of the picture.

Hissing he tossed it behind in, hearing it scrap on the wooden floor before it came to a stop by the foot of his bed. He saw that the glass didn't even break from the harsh landing. Clenching his fists, Inuyasha slammed it against the metal railing. His silver hair hung around him, draping over his shoulder and hiding his face.

"Damn you Rin… damn you." he whispered harshly, a tear sliding down his cheek.

* * *

Rin smoothed down her black plait skirt and straightened out her pink cuffed blouse. She checked her handbag for all the files that she needed. It must have been the fifth time she did this in one hour! She glared at her white sandals. Good grief, if she were this damned nervous, she might as well just go back to Japan! 

Pulling up her courage, she stepped up to the door, causing a slight echo in the long hallway. She looked over her shoulder almost nervously. There was not a person down the hall and it seemed that even the elevator doesn't come to this floor very often. Facing the door again, she calmed herself with a steady breath and lifted a hand to knock.

After a few quick, sharp knocks Rin heard at crisp 'come in'. She stepped in and closed the door behind her, still facing the door. "Miss Seijun, welcome to Inu Publishing Inc." she heard the same suave baritone from behind.

Her stomach butterflies fluttered a few times before Rin turned to face her interviewer. She bit back a gasp.

He had long silvery locks, gathered into a ponytail, but his bangs wisped around his eyes. There was a pair of triangular twin magenta stripes on both of his upper cheeks, this complemented very well with the blue waning crescent accented on his forehead. And his eyes, they were of an unnatural shade of molten gold. Rin's mind registered the traits rather quickly and knew that he wasn't human like her.

He was a youkai.

Youkai and hanyou were scarce ever since an organization of miko purified them throughout the world. Inuyasha was a hanyou and without doubt, this man before her was a full fledged youkai. But what type, she was unsure. Perhaps an inuyoukai like Inuyasha? They share similar traits, sans the facial markings and ears. His ears weren't dog-like, but were pointer than hers.

Snapping out of her stupor, Rin hastily answered, "Uh, thank you… Mr…?"

"You may call me Sesshomaru, Miss Seijun." Sesshomaru answered easily, gesturing for her to sit. The brunette walked over steadily and sat down, her bag on her lap. "Please, call me Rin." she replied, almost used to telling it to everyone around her.

"Very well. I've read through your resume and the terms. However, I would like you to sign some of these before we can start. As for your questions, I'll do my best to answer them." Sesshomaru said smoothly, handing her a clipboard with papers and a fine tip pen.

Rin glanced over most of the bolded terms and bulleted information and scribbled down her signature several times before handing it back to him. Things were eerily quiet in the room, which was spooking her a bit. Shouldn't there be massive amounts of phone calls interrupting them about now? Her brown eyes peeked at Sesshomaru from behind her bangs. He was staring at her, his eyes never blinking.

Somehow just looking at him reminded her of Inuyasha. They bother had the silvery hair and the sharp amber eyes. If they were paired together, it could be easily said that they were twins of some sort. As if he caught her staring, Sesshomaru quirked a brow when he set down the signed papers. She blushed.

"Do you have any questions you would like to ask, Miss Rin?" he said, rolling her name with his tongue. Rin felt her flush deepen and she willed it to go away before looking at him straight in the eyes. "Yes, well. Why were you interested in printing my books? After all, the other countries find it to be unprofitable." She confessed, a frown crossing her face.

"To clear things up, Miss Rin. Yes, there are certain points of your books which would weaken the profit. However, I believe that I would be able to help you expand your writing and making it more intriguing. Usually, Japanese writers are unsuccessful at selling their books in another country, but I believe that you have talent. And frankly, I enjoyed reading your first two books." Sesshomaru told her, gazing at her with the utmost seriousness. Taken aback, Rin remained perplexed. How could he have understood her writing? They were all written in Japanese and almost none of them were translated.

Sesshomaru must have caught her thought because he responded immediately. "I'm not entirely American, Miss Rin. My origins lie in Japan, but I decided to come here and start my business."

"Oh, I see." Rin slapped herself mentally. After all, what kind of American man would have a Japanese name anyway? Unless one of their parents or both of them moved here from Japan, then it would be a different story. She stood up, and held out her hand. "Anyways, thank you for your time, Mr. Sesshomaru. I'll send you the latest copies of the newest chapters and ideas I have planned for my book so far."

Sesshomaru took a card from his desk and handed to her before shaking her hand. "That's my contact card. All information and ways to reach me are on there. And have a good day, Miss Rin. I hope to see you soon."

She gave him one of her sincerest smiles and left the room with her bag. Once she was out the door, she let out a sigh of relief. That went pretty well, despite the pressure she felt on her. Not to mention the irony of meeting a man who looked almost alike to her past lover.

"Now, some lunch then apartment hunting." Rin told herself, and walked out of the building more determined to start a new life.

Even if she couldn't do it, she wouldn't go down without trying her best!

**

* * *

AN**: I can't believe that I've already got three chapters down. 0.o now I've got about er… lot more to go with the ideas clouding my head! Hope you enjoyed this!

**SessRin2003 :** thank you.

**LadyrinremixNIS : **lol, aren't you cruel to poor Inu-chan! And unfortunately, my break ends on the 3rd. ehehe… so chapters are going to be extremely slow after the first week of January. I'll probably have to write it during weekends. Thanks for the support!

**MindIIBody :** well, Inuyasha always knew that Rin would be there for him, but suddenly she's not, so of course he'll be upset. And it seems that Kagome's being affected by his sudden mood change, ne? XD well, Rin's reaction is almost similar to the way you described it, aren't you good at predictions! And have a wonderful holiday yourself! Thank you.


	4. Chapitre 4

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

Oh, NEW YEARS TREAT! XD

* * *

Chapitre 4, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

"Thank you so much!" said Rin as she shook hands with her soon to be roommate, Ayame. Lucky enough, she managed to scout a fair priced apartment. She was moving in immediately. She paid her rent early and received the set of keys. And her things were being sent here as well. 

Humming, she walked down the street, warmed up from the bright noon sun. It was nearly a week since she came here and so far, she's settled and memorized most of the city. The easiest way to memorize the place was by certain stores and landmarks. Maybe she could pick up some sweet bread or cookies to eat at the park.

Letting out a breath of happiness, she stared up at the blue sky. Chinatown seemed to be the best smelling place on earth. With all the spicy, good smelling food, Rin's mouth watered. Or perhaps she could get some fried noodles instead.

"Oomph." Rin started backwards from the collision, her boots caught the crack of the cement and nearly fell over had it not been for someone's quick vice grip on her forearms. "Ah, thank you." she said, looking up and met with glazing amber eyes and silver bangs.

"Inuyasha…" his named slipped out of her lips. But when she looked closer, Rin realized her mistake. It was her employer! Gasping, Rin started to stutter apologies. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Mr. Sesshomaru! But you just looked so much like him; I thought that you were him. I'm really sorry!"

Sesshomaru, dressed in what would seem to be a typical wear of black slacks and a button up shirt with a striped tie, smirked but it didn't reach his eyes. They were clouded with some unknown emotion. "No problem."

Rin laughed nervously and took a step back, rubbing the back of her head with a small blush gracing her cheeks. Sesshomaru continued to look at her before breaking the pregnant pause. "Anyway, are you heading to lunch?"

"Um, yeah, I am. Would you like to join me? My treat?" Rin asked, a smile appearing on her lips.

Sesshomaru thought for a moment and accepted her offer.

* * *

They both sat down in a comfy tradition Japanese restaurant and gave their orders. Rin asked for some eel sushi while Sesshomaru took cold soba. The waitress came with the green tea and poured it before leaving them to wait for their meal. 

The brunette took a look around her surrounding, noticing how similar it was to some temple homes back in Japan. There was bamboo plants placed at every corner of the room. The tables were low and there were cushions to sit on. The flooring was raised so they had to take of their shoes before stepping up to the tatami covered platforms of every booth, which were separated by rice paper screens.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, so Rin turned her attention to Sesshomaru. "How is your work going?"

She smiled, and then fidgeted with her cup of tea. "Fine thanks. I'll have the chapters to you by next week. Unfortunately, I'm planning on handing it to you in papers. My laptop had a virus and is being fixed right now; I'm not sure when it would be done. I hope that doesn't hinder the editing process."

"Hm, it might take longer than usual, but I'll have the best work on it. Work aside, how are you adapting to New York? Is it to your liking?" inquired Sesshomaru. After their first meeting in his office, he couldn't help but feel much more interested in her personality. She didn't strike him as a writer. Her outside appearance was more of an elementary teacher or a nurse. She also had a unique scent, something that smelt foreign to him. It was something that he had missed ever since he moved here.

It was almost like spring flowers, fresh blossoms from the tree. Compared to the air here, it was completely pure, heavenly even. The atmosphere here was dirty, polluted with all the industries and companies, even if there were great things around here.

"Yes. New York is really interesting. It took me a while get used to the streets and all. I just recently found a roommate, so I won't be living in a hotel now. And I still haven't the time to go and visit the Empire State building, or the Statue of Liberty. I heard that the lines are really long though, but that's going to make my visit there even better!" she told him, a new sparkle entering her toffee eyes.

Sesshomaru decided to keep that in mind. Smirking, he asked her, "And I suppose that you would if you had some given free time?"

Rin opened her mouth to reply, only to be stopped by another waitress bringing in their food. They started eating, and their conversation dispersed. However, Rin couldn't help but feel a little excited from that question.

* * *

"Ayame-chan! I've bought some—Oh!" Rin stopped speaking at once, dropping her hand with the bag of freshly baked banana bread. She stared at the couple in front of her, who had been making out almost shamelessly on the couch. Ayame sprang away immediately in embarrassment. Her lover fell down to the floor. "Rin!" 

"Ehehe, I guess I came back at bad time, huh?" Rin said, smiling despite the sight she just witnessed. She hung the keys on the rack next to Ayame's then went into the kitchen to leave the bread before going back to tease her roommate.

"So? Who is this hot ticket?" the brunette ribbed, winking slyly. Ayame's face seemed to have turned to the lovely shade of her hair. "Uh… Rin, this is Kouga, my boyfriend. Kouga, this is Rin, my new roommate." The red head introduced, stammering.

"Hey, nice to meet you!" the writer said, shaking hands with Kouga. "Same here. You're lucky to have my girlfriend as a roommate. She makes the best spaghetti, although, you'll want to avoid her desserts." He joked, grinning.

Just then, Rin noticed that his canines were a bit too sharp, as were his ears. Could it be…?

"Um, well, I won't be bothering the both of you now. Gotta go and unpack. Have fun!" she went down the hallway to her room, which was right across from Ayame's.

Closing the door, Rin plopped down on her new mattress. Sighing, she fell back to the bed, her hair fanning out under her.

Was this place filled with youkai? Or did she just stumble upon the goldmine of demons? What luck! She bolted up when an idea came to her. "This would be the best place where Inuyasha… can live."

This was the second time! What was wrong with her today? She promised to herself that she would try and live a new life without him, which meant that she should forget him, completely! But his name repeatedly comes out of her mouth.

Groaning, Rin whacked her head with her pillow.

Why was it so hard to forget?

* * *

"Inuyasha, look! Isn't this beautiful!" Kagome said excitedly, dragging her fiancée to the bridal gown on display. 

It was made entirely of white silk and lace. The patterns on the veil were entirely of daisy flowers, created around a metal daisy crown. The bodice was a corset without any support on the shoulder. A white sash was tied around the back, the ends pinned by a daisy brooch. The bottom of the gown had a unique design. It fanned out as if it were a daisy, just touching the floor with the matching heels. It also had lacy gloves; a corsage of the based flower was tied on the right wrist.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha barely glanced at it, but was looking towards the toy store across the street. A large teddy bear sat up front at the window.

The fur was snow white and there was a large red bow tied around its neck. In one of its paw was a heart, the other was a rose. It was sitting down, with its feet propped on each side. It looked almost real with the sunlight beaming down on it, reflecting in its black round eyes.

It was almost identical to the one Rin bought for him for his birthday, though he received it grudgingly ("What kind of guy keeps a teddy bear anyway!" he had shouted crossly.). Maybe he could buy it… it reminded him of Rin.

"Ne, Inuyasha? What are you looking at?" Kagome peered over his shoulder, following his gaze. Seeing the bear, she squealed. "Oh my! It looks so adorable! Let's have a closer look!"

They came to the front of the store. Kagome pressed her hands against the glass, tracing the outline of the toy. "It looks so cute…" she whispered adoringly."Um… Inuyasha?" she looked down shyly.

"Hmm?" Inuyasha turned his attention to the raven head next to him.

"Well, I was wondering…" Kagome started, lifting her eyes to his then shifted towards the bear, thinking that he could get the hint easier.

Clueless, he merely said, "What?"

She frowned. Was it so hard to get her point across? "Can you… um…?"

"Kagome, what do you want?" Inuyasha asked, getting slightly agitated.

Fuming, Kagome threw up her hands. "Forget it." She turned around, squared her shoulders and walked away. Men!

"Keh!" Inuyasha took one last look at it, taking it into his mind before going after Kagome. When he was shopping with Rin, he never once had this trouble! She was always direct, but never asked for much. Unlike Kagome, why couldn't she just tell him?

The bear continued to stare blankly out the window, waiting to be bought.

**

* * *

AN: **Hmm… fourth chapter's out. Bit short, though. Think I'll have one more out before my break ends. But we'll see!

**MindIIBody : **Wow, psychic! But, I doubt that you'll see what's coming up in the next chapter! This one was basically going in circles, ehehe. Glad that you liked it!

**Warbucks :** Mou, you really REALLY can't see it? T.T I, strangely, could see Rin with many of the Inuyasha male characters. (I adore Rin and Inuyasha, but SessRin is my OTP) Like Kouga, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru. And whenever I try to match Sesshomaru with another girl, I start thinking that it is wrong. For now, the final pairings are still undecided, but thanks for reading! I hope that you'll enjoy the rest of it.

**Icygirl2 :** oohh, I thought that you left me when you didn't review for the third chapter. Bad me. Thanks!


	5. Chapitre 5

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 5, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Sighing, Sesshomaru tossed his briefcase onto his bed and entered his study, which was adjacent to his bedroom. Flipping on the lights, the youkai walked over to sit down on the leather seat behind the table. There was a small library full of volumes of philosophy, literature, poetry and a small collection of fairy tales. They were originally his mother's, the ones that she read to him when he was young. But when he passed, he never touched them again. They stayed up on the furthest corner near the ceiling, the only ones covered with coats of dust. 

His golden eyes scanned over the titles before closing them. The lunch last week with his newest… writer was interesting, the least to say.

After they received their meals, they never attempted to start another conversation until they left. They hadn't even spoken once when they were going around NY City. He had walked her around, showing her some good places where he considered them hidden jewels. He also walked her back home and that was it. They said goodbye and parted ways.

He didn't expect to bump into her so suddenly that day. But when he smelt the same refreshing scent, he unconsciously followed it and found her. The word that came out of her mouth surprised him even more. **Inuyasha**.

That word was never said or heard around him ever since he left Japan when he was nine. His _father_ remarried with a human woman, upsetting and breaking the mating bond he had with Sesshomaru's mother. So then, the mother and son left and came to Los Angelus. Sesshomaru only went back one summer to attend at his father's funeral, who had mysteriously passed on to the next world.

That hanyou and mortal wench was probably the cause of his death. But Sesshomaru never knew the truth of his death, or even the cause of it. After that, he despised that fool, that bastard.

But… how would Rin know him? Was it coincidence?

He pressed a button on the phone, connecting with his secretary. "Hello? Mr. Sesshomaru?"

"Jaken! Do a background check on Rin Seijun. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning." Sesshomaru said sternly then turned it off without listening to the response.

* * *

"Mou… Think. Think! Think!" Rin continuously stabbed her forehead with the end of the pen. The scribbles all over her lined paper were sloppy but organized. She only had two more days before she handed it in, unfortunately, the bug of writers had been biting her. Writer's block! Her laptop was still at the shop and she only has five hours before 10! 

She was struck with an inspiration just a few hours ago, but now, hitting a road block brought down her spirit. Should her heroine leave or stay? Should her hero go after her or after her nemesis? Should her antagonist trick the hero or seduce the heroine?

She banged her forehead on the papers. "Ouch!" she frowned up at the small red spot on her head.

A knock came from her door. "Rin? Are you awake yet?" Ayame asked.

"Come in!" she told the red head. Her friend came in with two cups of milk in hand. Rin took it, bewildered. "Milk?"

Chuckling, Ayame grinned. "Yup, milk. I heard all those 'thinks' and came to the conclusion that you're stuck. The milk might add some brain power!"

Rin smiled. "Heh, how expectant of you Ayame! Thanks!"

Ayame made herself comfortable on Rin's bed, playing with the pillow. "Say, what are you writing about? Want any suggestions?"

The brunette tapped the pen on her chin. "Hmm, that might not be too bad. Well, so far, the hero has come down to a fork road and so did the heroine. The hero's ex-lover came back and asked for his help to defeat their common nemesis, but the heroine wants out of the love triangle. However, her heart still wants to stay by him. Then there's also the antagonist. He's planning to kill two birds with one stone, but doesn't know who to go after first. The hero or heroine?"

Ayame's green eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Wow, that's really extensive! Um… geez, even I can't think of how to end it. It kind of reminds me of that show called Compassion or something like that. I never really liked soap operas. Except I think that girl died…"

A moment of silence passed between them. Suddenly Ayame sat up straighter. "How about putting both the hero and ex-lover together to face the nemesis, except the heroine works in the shadow, pretending to have disappeared from his life?"

Rin's chocolate eyes lit with enthusiasm as she jumped to hug her friend. "Thank you! You just helped me solve my biggest dilemma yet! You're a life saver Ayame!"

The red head just returned her hug. "Anytime Rin, anytime!"

* * *

Exiting the elevator, Rin stepped into the hallway. Once again, she was facing the big wooden doors that led her to her employer. The red carpeting seemed to be going on and on for miles when she looked behind her. Steeling herself, Rin knocked three times and was told to enter. 

"Good morning, Mr. Sesshomaru." Said Rin. She smiled brightly at him despite the gloomy weather outside. There were dark clouds over head, promising a long and heavy down pour. But it wasn't going to start raining until later this afternoon, so she should be safe and dry by the time she returned home.

"I am hoping that you have the latest for me?" Sesshomaru asked, leaning back comfortable into his chair, crossing his legs. There were stacks of paper all over his desk, as well as a few manila folders. As Rin approached his table, she noticed that there was a folder labeled with her name. Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes looked up to Sesshomaru's.

"Are you doing a check on my profile?" she blurted, not realizing that her question was somewhat impolite until a few moments later. But she made no move to say sorry since Sesshomaru beat her to it. "I would like to apologize for not informing you of the background check. It is a required step to ensure the safety of both you and the company, Miss Rin."

Her mouth was shaped like and 'oh' and her face started to flush. "Um, I'm really sorry. It's just, having someone checking on your profile is like having someone invading your privacy."

He nodded in assent. "I understand."

"Well," Rin dug into her hand bag and took out a clear plastic folder. "Here are the chapters, as promised."

"Chapters" was written on the title box and corners were sticking out of the sides. She pulled out a large clipped packet and handed it him. The first page was titled "Chapter 13".

"Hn." He flipped through a couple of pages and returned his attention to her. "I'll notify you when they are done and to let you know if there should be any necessary changes." Sesshomaru said, taking the files and placing them on top of her profile folder.

"Thanks." Rin made a move to bow, but remembered that it was unnecessary since she was no long in Japan, so she just shook hands. Sesshomaru seemed almost hesitant at the contact, but took her hand anyhow.

At the first contact, Rin felt sharp nails and rough skin. She swore that there were also to identical markings on his wrist, much like the ones on his cheeks. Perhaps he was really an inuyoukai? She'll have to check up on it later.

Sesshomaru's sharp eyes followed as she exited his office.

Apparently Rin grew up in the same town as that hanyou. From what he knew, that human wench and her son hadn't moved after his death, so that only meant they lived in the same neighborhood. There was a great possibility that they grew up together, although, humans were usually afraid of half-breeds such as _him_.

But from the profile he read a few minutes ago, she was known for her kind heart and bubbly personality. It was unusual of Rin to associate with him, but… he'll find out later. There was something more important at hand.

"Jaken. Take these and bring them down stairs to be edited." Sesshomaru held out the stack of paper to the short green imp, who waddled in from the desk next door.

"Yes, of course Mr. Sesshomaru!" he squawked, taking it with his webbed hands, bowing graciously, only to be kicked off by Sesshomaru's shoe.

* * *

Kagome's keys jingled as she pocketed them. "I'm home Mama!" 

Her mother's head popped out from the kitchen. "Ah, how was your day with Inuyasha?" she asked.

Kagome frowned. "I… it was okay."

Sensing her daughter's distress, she turned off the stove and walked over to Kagome. "What's wrong? Did Inuyasha do something?"

Sighing, Kagome shook her head. "No, it's just that… his best friend left and all of a sudden, he's so… down. He's barely paying any attention to me when we go out together, like he's lost interest in me. I just don't know what to do now…"

Her mother's brown eyes showed sympathy and understanding. "Kagome, relationships are like that. Both of you have to face certain obstacles in order to have a true relationship. You learn things as you work with each other. Maybe you can talk to him, ask him what's wrong or why he's acting like that."

Kagome hugged her mother, face brightening. "Thanks Mama."

**

* * *

AN: **Whoosh! I've got the fifth chapter out! Now, I really need to start to put things in action in order to get my climax! Mwhaha! Oh, updates will hopefully be quick, if my homework doesn't get in the way. Doubt that though, the third semester is always the hardest. Thanks for staying with me till now!

**Icygirl2 :** heh, suspense? I don't think I really know how to do that, but I'll try my best in the up coming chapters. Thank you!

**MindIIBody :** I was planning on adding Sango to the last chapter earlier, so that they would live together, but it seemed too common. I think Ayame would make things better though. And yes, I'm putting Inuyasha through a very HARD time. It wasn't intentional. It was… all for the plot. You'll like the end result, I hope. Coping and trying to forget it definitely hard. I should know. Basically, I'm showing's Rin development with my experience. Sesshomaru's relationship with Rin will grow, just not as fast as you think. Lol, I love spaghetti, especially with pork meatballs!

**Lord of the Blades :** Ooh, strictly Inu/Kag fan? The pairings for this fiction are very flexible. And no, I can't ensure you that this is going to end with Sesshomaru and Rin as a pairing. I might end it with Inuyasha and Rin. But, I still don't now myself. End results are to be a secret. So you can't really decide the pairings.

As for Rin being in the dark about the engagement, even with Inuyasha as her best friend, there are so many things you can tell a friend. And don't forget, Rin's the first person to know about it! Inuyasha had a harsh life as a kid and never had any friends. He's trying to start a relationship on his own and is somewhat asking for Rin's approval. My best friend found herself a boyfriend and I never knew about it till much later. Many people prefer to keep their relationship a secret until they think that it is time. And as for Sesshomaru's curiosity, well, you have it here. I was planning on separating it because it wouldn't have fitted in with the last chapter. Thanks for your critics and if you have anymore questions, I'll be glad to help you answer them!

**Chaotic Pink Chochobo :** thank you very much! I try my best.


	6. Chapitre 6

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 6, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

"That'll be 5 dollars please." The ice cream vendor asked with two cones in hand. Kagome pulled out a five from her pocket and took the ice cream cones, thanking the man. Licking her double strawberry chocolate, she went over to the fountain, where Inuyasha was waiting. 

She frowned as she saw that he was staring off into space straight ahead of him. There was a far-away look in his amber eyes. His silvery ears were twitching every now and then from the spouting water behind him, but the rest of his body was tense. She knew this from the way he was sitting. Elbows on knees, chin in hands while leaning forward. His hair was tied back into a low ponytail, since a high one would irritate his ears.

It was almost two weeks since her mom gave her the advice to talk to her fiancée, but somehow, whenever she wanted to ask him that question, Kagome would see that look in his eyes. Maybe it was better if she never found it… or maybe if she did find out, all the tension between them would dissipate.

But…

What if it only caused more problems for their relationship? What then? Biting her lips, her mind continued to weigh the choices laid before her. Sooner or later, she was going to ask…

Sighing, her shoulders slumped and Kagome plopped down next to Inuyasha. Drawing a smile on her face, she handed him his vanilla cone. "Here, Inu. Inu? Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was unresponsive at first, but soon snapped out of his daydream and took the sweet melting treat. "Thanks." He said, and then proceeded to take a bite out of it.

Neither of them spoke and soon, the silence made Kagome feel uneasy. She opened to mouth to speak, but found her words stuck in her throat. So instead, she just ate her ice cream quietly.

It was when she finished did the raven haired woman decide to speak. She sat, body facing him so that she could talk to him directly while staring at his eyes. "Inuyasha? Can you… tell me what's wrong?"

"Huh?" his expression turned into a confused look. "About what?"

"Well… ever since Rin left, you… just haven't been yourself." She said, folding her hands in her lap.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Kagome felt somewhat nervous by bringing up the topic. "It is just that, after Rin left, you're so distant and I feel like I don't know you anymore. We don't talk much anymore. And you're always thinking about… her."

Suddenly, his face turned into a sneer. "What do you know? You don't know how it feel like to loose your best friend! She just left me without a word, without any explanation whatsoever."

She gasped, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha… I'm sorry… I didn't know."

"Keh." He shrugged off her hand. "I don't need your pity."

Something pierced her heart. "I-I'm not giving you pity, Inuyasha… I just didn't know that you've been hurting so much. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…" He looked into her eyes, straight into her soul. He searched for something, something that she didn't know of. Finally he seemed to have found it. "Because," he said once more, spitefully this time. "There is that look inside your eyes. You say that you don't have pity, sympathy, but I see them. It is always in there. No one understands it as well as I do.

"And all that tells me is that you wouldn't understand even if I did tell you. You wouldn't know the feeling of despair, of mutual dislike, of disgust, of loosing something dear to you. You told me that you had a great childhood, even though you never had a father. You had many friends, liked by many, never felt what I've gone through." He snarled, glaring down at the ground, allowing his feelings to emerge after nearly a month and a half. "Now, the only person whom I trusted with all my life, whom I confided in all my life isn't here anymore!"

The birds around them seemed to have stopped chirping, even the fountain sounded far away. Kagome's world spun.

It was true, even without her father, she grew up happily with her brother, grandfather and mother. Never once did she experience anything Inuyasha has. She was loved by many and still was. Everything that she wanted was handed to her. She wasn't scorned by others, wasn't bullied. Her life was almost the said-perfect. She met him, entered her first relationship and was finally engaged. Every girl would want to be in her place now.

But somehow… why did she feel that there's going to be a bad outcome to this conversation?

"But I'm here… I'm here for you Inuyasha! I'm always going to be here, always going to be here to love you. I won't disappear or leave you!" she told him, shaking him by his shoulders. "I'll be with you always! I can take her place! You can tell me things, talk to me whenever you need to!"

Inuyasha's sullen eyes turned to hers once more. "I don't know if that's going to be true. You could meet someone better than me… and you can't take her place, no matter how hard you try. Rin will always be Rin. Kagome will always be Kagome. You can't change that fact."

Kagome felt the dread, he wasn't saying what she thought he was saying… was he? "I'm not trying to! I just don't want to you be this way! We're almost uncommunicative in our relationship now! And we're supposed to be getting married in four months!"

The hanyou was unresponsive to her words. Finally, his eyes hardened. The next sentence that slipped out of his mouth stabbed an arrow into her heart.

"Maybe our relationship was a mistake."

* * *

Rin sat on a drawn chair in front of the sliding doors to the balcony in the living room. The sun was setting now, painting fading reds, oranges, gold, mauve and hints of dark aquamarine. It was sinking beyond the tall buildings, casting long dark shadows all over the city. 

It was almost two months since she came to New York for her new life. Ayame was out at the moment, but she was easy to get along so now they were closely-knit friends. Her boyfriend, Kouga, was also a friendly person to be around. He came to their apartment regularly and stayed for either lunch or dinner, with Rin and Ayame taking turns cooking. So now, the three of them were tight friends, Rin's two newest friends.

Apparently, Kouga and Ayame were both ookami youkai. They were also originally born in Japan, surprisingly. With their green and blue eyes, she thought that they were a mixed breed. But maybe being a youkai is different. Ayame's flaming hair was very much different from Kouga's dark raven and Sesshomaru's bluish platinum. And after doing a little research at a local library, she found out that Sesshomaru was indeed an inuyoukai. It seemed that the Inu Clan from the past all had silvery hair and certain markings. The one that demonstrated the royal family of the clan was the blue moon.

So that made Sesshomaru royalty.

Rin winced inwardly. No doubt her attitude would change toward him; she was treating him a bit too friendly. Suddenly the phone rang from the hallway.

Jumping off quickly from the counter chair she took from the kitchen, the brunette went to pick it up. "Hello?"

"May I speak to Miss Rin, please?" came a deep, suave tone, something that Rin was nearly accustomed to hear. "This is she, may I ask if this is Mr. Sesshomaru?" she answered.

"Yes, this is he. I've tried to contact you on your personal cell phone; however I've received only your voicemail." Rin blushed. "Sorry, I was recharging it. Did you need something Mr. Sesshomaru?"

"I only wanted to tell you that the chapters you've handed me last week are finished editing. Perhaps you would like to pick it up within three hours? I shall be waiting for you at my office." Sesshomaru said to her.

Rin nodded. "Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hn, oh… please dress casually." Then he hung up, leaving a deeply confounded Rin.

"Um… sure." She said to the dial tone and set it back on the cradle.

_Dress casually?_ Whatever for? The writer glanced at the clock, noticing that it was only six past, so she had to be there before nine. But what can she wear? She had to meet her _boss _of all things! And he's telling her to dress casually… how she could though?

Sighing, she went to her room. Maybe a pair of easy jeans and a sweater.

* * *

"Thank you! I'll have the corrections by you in a couple of days. I should be going-." Rin started out the door, securing her hand bag over her shoulder. In the end, she decided to put on a leather knee-length skirt, a glittering blue halter and a white blouse. It just seemed too awkward to her if she put on some jeans and sweat shirt and met her boss that way. Her dark caramel hair was styled into two French braids, trailing down her shoulder. 

"Please, hold up for a moment. I would like a word with you." Sesshomaru said. He got off his chair and took his trench coat off the coat rack by the corner of the room. He slipped into it then faced Rin, who was already waiting patiently for whatever he wanted to discuss.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked, stunning her.

Rin gaped like a fish for a few moments, before nodding with a nice smile. "Sure."

Sesshomaru walked up to her, escorting her out the door. As they entered the elevator cart, Rin's hands started to fidget with the hem of her blouse. Sesshomaru's eyes wandered over to her, watching as she play with the fabric of her shirt. "There's no need to be nervous, Miss Rin. This dinner is all business. I just would like for you to meet with a few of the main managers outside of this building."

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you." she replied, not really knowing how to answer him. Good thing she didn't dress the way she was planning. But, how was she going to get there? And just where was this 'there'? She took the public transportation and walked a few blocks in her platforms. Is she going to have to walk all the way there as well?

"Um, I was wondering. Just where are we eating at?" the brunette asked shyly. Maybe it was close and she could suffer less with her shoes as she returned home. Or maybe call Ayame and ask to pick her up, even though that doesn't seem very polite of her.

"Le Bleu Escargot." Sesshomaru told her, "I'll be driving you there, since you have no transportation of your own, correct?" And he led her to a car as they exited at the underground garage. It was a silver convertible.

He opened the passenger door for her. "Thank you." she mumbled, sliding into the seat and adjusted her skirt. As the inuyoukai entered the driver's seat, he started up the car and backed out of the parking lot.

**

* * *

AN:** a sketchy update, but developing. Enjoyed it or was it too… blank?

**MindIIBody :** oh, about that. Well, being an owner of a publishing firm, how would you find time to do research on someone anyway? He's got a lot on his hands, Sesshy, that he does! But he did it anyway. And yes, perhaps Kagome will be facing great obstacles or perhaps, she's not. Depends on my… mood! And you've seem to catch on pretty quickly on certain things (hint hint)! Thank you very much.

**Icygirl2 :** hm, I think I'll write during weekends and see if I can finish a chapter a week, if not, maybe a chapter within a month. Homework's starting to grow in unaccountable amounts now. Ehehe, thank you, although, my real new years hasn't come just yet. I have to wait till the 29th.

**Lord of the Blades :** yeah, some things seem really irrational from the beginning but I was still debating on whether she should be his girlfriend or his fiancée, and which would leave a greater impact with the drama that has yet to arrive. However, the truth does stand. She was his best friend and she should've known about their relationship ever since the start. Guess my eagerness for starting this story has caused me to overlook some things. Sorry. And yes, advice and criticism from my dedicated reviewers are very helpful. Thank you so much as well!

**Sphinx : **thanks! And some things are better to be left unsaid… until MUCH later in the story.


	7. Chapitre 7

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 6, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Rin hummed slightly as she exited the elevator. She had enjoyed herself thoroughly last night. It hadn't ended out as bad as she thought it would have. She also met quite a few nice people and also a small surprise. 

There was Jaken, a toad imp, and secretary of Sesshomaru. He was short, green and full of lumps (acne, maybe?) all over his face. He had a beak-like mouth and bulgy yellow eyes. His hands were webbed, but had clawed tips. His voice was unpleasant, least to say. Screechy and annoying. He seemed to dislike her since he always glared hostilely at her seat next to Sesshomaru.

There were the General and Assistant Managers. Bankotsu and Hiten. Bankotsu was most definitely human, but Hiten had fangs. Both of them looked somewhat alike and were quite handsome. Both had black hair and stunning eyes. They were also quite cocky, but Bankotsu was more of the quite one, only smirking now at then. He wasn't quite as popular with the girls as Hiten, she was told by Mayu.

Mayu was the only female on the board, so she was in charge of the treasury department. She was also head of the editors. Her bluish brown eyes and dark black hair told her she was human. She was nice, but never trusted youkais. Why, Rin didn't know. The woman seemed disturbed when she brought forth the topic.

Next was the CEO of the company. He was really familiar with her. _Quite_ familiar actually. She was surprised when she saw him sitting next to Mayu. Kouga was the chief executive office of Inu Publishing Inc. She greeted him warmly, almost missing the smoldering look Sesshomaru sent him. At first she was puzzled, but brushed it aside.

Rin learnt that there were five other writers who were being sponsored by the company. Three of them were males, old time writers and the other two were females. She and someone else. After all the introductions and briefings were done, they ordered for their meal. It was a top class French restaurant so she didn't know what to order. In the end, she took a small salad and a filet mignon.

They discussed off topics about their personal life and some about business. Sesshomaru was silent most of the time next to her. Since he seemed to be keeping to himself, Rin cut off her talk with Kouga, who was sitting to her right, as he turned his attention to Mayu would wanted to chat about the stocks and percentage.

Rin learnt a few things about Sesshomaru as they both exchanged a bit of information of their private life. He lived a few blocks away from where she lived, but closer to the building. He earned a business and law degree at Harvard and lived in the United States for most of his life. He was only twenty-nine, although she could estimate that he well over his prime as a youkai. Probably nearing the seven hundreds.

Sighing, she readjusted the shoulder strap of her side bag and knocked on the door. The edits were made last night when she went home with Kouga. He stayed for the night with Ayame since the female youkai had unluckily sprained her leg after tripping on the stairs. Rin promised to stop by the pharmacy to pick up some ice and bandages after dropping the chapters.

"Enter Miss Rin." Sesshomaru said.

The brunette stepped through the portal and looked up from the ground to see another woman sitting down on one of the chairs. She had a folder on her lap and her hands were on the sides of the chair. Her body looked tense and her head, filled with black curls in a bun, pierced right through Rin as her hard red eyes dug at her. "Um, good afternoon." Rin stammered, somewhat intimidated by the stare.

"Have a seat Miss Rin." the inuyoukai addressed her, leaning back into his seat. When Rin seated herself, she tried hard not to look over to the other presence in the room.

"Miss Rin, this is Kagura Kaze, a well-known writer on Inu Publishing's. Kagura, this is Rin Seijun. A new writer from Japan." Sesshomaru said, looking at them both, waiting for their reactions to each other.

Rin held out her hand and tried her best to smile. "Hello, Ms. Kaze. It is nice to meet you."

Kagura sniffed and Rin saw pointed ears decorated with string of green beads as earrings. Those menacing red eyes narrowed a fraction, framed by locks of black. "Hello." She replied stiffly, but made no move to shake hands, so Rin withdrew.

"I'll be leaving now. Consider my… offer Sesshomaru. Good day." Kagura told him, staring at Sesshomaru sternly. She stood up and walked out of the room, her dress skirt swishing suggestively every time.

"I am hoping that you have the edits finished?" the male asked, as the door closed with a satisfied snap.

"Oh, yes!" she hastily pulled out the folder and gave it to him. Sesshomaru skimmed through its contents before slipping it onto his desk. "Your improvement is showing. I hope that your work would steadily be worth your effort. The plot is interesting to say. Do you brainstorm often?"

"When I have the time. But usually I just jolt down notes and make my way from there." Rin said to him, making herself comfortable in the chair.

"I see." He entered a phase of thoughts, leaving Rin in suspense as she fidgeted inwardly. She took this time to observe him deeply. He was indeed handsome. His features were sharp and accented. The silvery bangs made his amber eyes very mysterious. If she looked from afar, she could have easily mistaken him for Inuyasha.

Speaking of which, she still missed him. Maybe it was time she called him… but would he forgive her? His grudges run deeper than his blood at times. She tried to forget him, but with her plot going the way it was, it was making it even more difficult. Like the book was based around her life. She was the heroine, Inuyasha was the hero, Kagome was the ex-lover. But, who was the antagonist at the moment?

Finally, Sesshomaru stared at her and broke the silence. "Would you mind if I take some time off your evening schedule tonight?"

"Huh?" Rin said rather unprofessionally. "I mean, excuse me?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go have dinner with me tonight." He added as an after thought. "Not work related of course."

Taken aback, she just sat there. She had plans to sit with Ayame and watch some movies; Kouga was also going to order pizza. It was something that they adapted to do every Friday now. Frowning, she said. "I'm sorry. I have plans tonight, maybe tomorrow? Or some other convenient time for you, Mr. Sesshomaru?"

Quirking a brow, he nodded. "It is fine. Perhaps Sunday evening, then?"

"Sure! Thank you." Rin smiled and then made her leave. Her heart was beating faster than usual.

Just as she was out the door, she heard Sesshomaru call her back. "I shall be coming around six."

She nodded.

* * *

"Oh my goodness! You lucky _dog_!" Ayame teased, elbowing the blushing brunette as she told her friend what Sesshomaru asked her. Rin came home about two hours ago with some chips, soda and ice cream while Ayame went to get her sprain checked. It seemed that the bone was slightly bent out of place and now she had a cast on. But without doubt, the ookami youkai would be up on her feet after three days. 

"Ah, well… he's probably had many dates with his co-workers." She stammered, hiding behind a cushion. "And it would be great if it were Inuyasha instead. Too bad he's too dense to see…"

Kouga came into the room with two boxes of pepperoni and vegetable pizza. "Actually, he stopped dating them after the September 11 incident. The stocks went down so fast that we didn't even know what hit us. Ever since then he was so dedicated to his work. But somehow, he still holds the title of 'New York's Bachelor'." He frowned.

"Is that so? Well, now's your chance to shine, Rin-chan!" the red head exclaimed. "You'll be _all over_ news as the first and most likely the steady girlfriend that Bachelor Sesshomaru has dated!"

"But I don't wanna be all over television. That's so… embarrassing!" Rin duck into the cushion completely, her face red up all the way to the roots of her hair.

Chuckling, Kouga slipped in between both women. "Let's just eat the pizza before I drool all over them. And don't worry Rin, as long as you're not seen by the paparazzi, you're gonna be fine with him."

The writer picked up a slice of veggie and chewed on it worriedly. "Paparazzi? He actually has one of those following around him?"

"Yeah, he's practically on the news every month!" Ayame tossed in her two cents. Some crumbles clung onto her lips.

"Good grief… aren't I lucky." Rin groaned. Kouga shook his head, wishing that the topic would drop already. Girls…

He flipped on the TV and pressed play on the DVD. The introductory credits rolled and Rin turned off the lights, leaving them in the dark eating pizza.

* * *

Somewhere in Japan, Inuyasha sneezed at his Ramen. "Keh, some bastard must be talking about me." 

"Inuyasha!" Izayoi scolded over her shoulder as she carefully cooked her breakfast.

**

* * *

AN:** Ooh, I know this took a while and isn't exactly the best, but I had so much homework and my eyes were semi-bleeding from strain. The next chapter won't be up till next month, the quickest. Since Chinese New Year is coming up, I'm going to be really busy with the preparation and the cooking. Duty of the eldest daughter, we call it in our family. Thank you for reading so far!

**MindIIBody :** Ah, I wouldn't count on them having a serious relationship just yet. They're still employer and employee! But things are moving along. And yes, Inuyasha's always REALLY predictable whenever he allow his feelings to rule him. Ehehe. Thanks!

**Chaotic Pink Chocobo :** thank you!

**Sphinx :** ooh, thank you! I hoped you liked this chapter.

**Icygirl2 :** Wow, thank you very much! I try my best to set their feelings and thoughts so that they're near realistic. Communication is important in relationships, but sometimes it is hard to show or tell people about certain things. It might come out wrong or people might take it the wrong way, so I would have to keep that in mind. Many would see the relationship of Inu/Rin is sisterly/brotherly, but I can tell you for sure that you'll start doubting soon enough! (hint hint). Yes, there are also different types of bonds, but sometimes there is the 'best friend falls for other best friend, best friend number two likes best friend number one also' type of thing in the world. And keep in mind, this is AU.


	8. Chapitre 8

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 8, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

A soft song was playing over head as she pushed the shopping cart around the aisles, occasionally stopping to check the price. Rin picked up some plastic wrapped beef, but quickly placed it back down. They were so expensive! Maybe some pork meatballs and spaghetti for tonight. 

"Rin!" a man called out from behind her. Turning around, Rin saw Kouga returning with a box of soda and stopped by the dairy section for him to catch up. "Thanks for picking that up! Anyway, where's Ayame?" Rin inquired. Kouga dropped the box into the cart. He selected two cartons of milk and deposited into the cart too.

"She said she's going to get her film developed. We're going to meet up at the car." He told her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. They both walked casually down the rest of the refrigerated foods.

"So, what are you thinking about wearing to that date of yours with the boss?" he said, standing to the side as she picked out some large eggs.

Rolling her eyes, Rin pretended to throw the eggs at him, which immediately sent him into blocking his face. "Good grief, not you too, Kouga-kun! Ayame's been dragging me all around malls just to find one 'perfect' dress and you're asking the same thing."

"Only looking out for your best interest. Plus, we both might get a raise if you manage to inflate that ego of his." he egged, patting her brown head.

She was about to swat him away when she saw her said-date, Sesshomaru with that female writer she met Friday, Kagura. He was walking rather close to her, but showed no signs of interest. Meanwhile, Kagura had an air of arrogance, almost as if she had something to show off.

Kouga turned to where she was staring let out a 'heh', as if he knew that was happening already. That pair drew closer and soon, they looked up and Rin managed to locked gazes with Sesshomaru. She immediately looked away and saw Kagura.

Kagura had a sly grin on her face, a look which Rin didn't like at all. The two other demons came up to their cart. "Why, hello Ms. Seijun! I didn't know that you shop here!" Kagura said.

"What, food too good for you?" Kouga mumbled only so that she could hear. The brunette stifled the giggle. "Um, hello Mr. Sesshomaru, Ms. Kaze."

"Miss Rin, Mr. Ookami." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Shopping for dinner, huh? The produce here is pretty good, I've heard." Rin said conversationally. Kagura looked at her as if she grew another head, but recovered quick enough. "Yes, I'm sure it is…"

"So…" Rin said, unsure where the conversation was actually going.

"Well, would you look at the time!" the wolf youkai butted in, "It's about time we start going home, Rin. Lot's to do tonight. Have a good day!" Kouga said to them, so uncharacteristically of him. He pushed the cart with one hand while the other pulled her with him.

Rin fumbled out a few goodbyes and caught a glare directed at the back of Kouga's head from her employer. That was the second one in a row. Was it an inside business rivalry that she didn't know of or was it just mutual dislike? She did read that inuyoukai weren't quite _fond_ of ookami youkai ever since there was a civil war between the two lands back in the feudal era.

As soon as they were far enough, Kouga released her and started chuckling a bit. "Seems like our boss has it deep for you Rin." but he turned serious the next moment. "Although, it wouldn't be wise to get too close to him."

She cocked her head to the side. "Why? He doesn't look very dangerous, if you ask me."

"Inuyoukai are competitive, possessive and aggressive. And he's not exactly what you would call a charming prince, unlike someone." He added, smirking jestingly. Rin rolled her eyes. "Look, even though he looks harmless, they can be deceiving. He has ice for blood."

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's not really interested in me; maybe he just wanted to talk about work tonight. And he has that writer of his, Kagura-san. But if it gets out of hand, I'll handle it. …I've went through worse, believe me." she said, with a small smile, eyes growing distant.

* * *

"Ayame-chan! I told you, you don't have to do my hair!" Rin complained as she placed on a small dash of peach lipstick. "It's not like I'm going to be gone for long." 

After all that shopping yesterday, they managed to find a soft lavender-pink spaghetti dress that cut at the bottom of her knees. It was hemmed with black and there was a studded rose design on her right breast. There was also a small slit that went half-way up her thigh, which made Rin slightly nervous. Her hair was being curled and laced with a white ribbon.

Ayame clucked. "That's where you're wrong, Rin-chan! Knowing his status, he's bound to take you out till past nine! And so, you'll need to look your best. Who knows where he's bringing you! So being prepared is the best medicine, it says the same thing in All Girl's Advice Magazine, under the dating log. I think it was number 15 or something."

"But still… don't you have a date with Kouga? He's waiting, but a guy's patience could only last so long." Rin said to her friend, encouraging her to stop. Ayame herself was dressed in a classy black-striped white halter top and a leather skirt with matching boots. Her fiery hair was French-braided.

"I heard that, Rin. A wolf's got sharp ears you know." Kouga remarked from the opened doorway. He leant against the frame, a cocky smile plastered on his face. He was wearing a black tank with a white jean jacket. His flaring leather jeans rode low on his hips, the bottoms covered his army boots.

Ayame whistled and finished Rin's hairdo. The brunette shook her head at their silliness. The wolf girl sashayed her way over to her boyfriend. She looked up and down and ran her teeth across her canine teeth. "Why hello stranger, which part of town are you from?" she purred, playfulness sparking her emerald eyes.

"I'm from down north. And you vixen? Hard to find a hot chick like you nowadays." Kouga answered sexily, wrapping an arm around his waist. Rin started laughing at his cheap pick-up line. Soon enough, all three of them were enjoying a good, contagious laugh.

DING DONG!

Abruptly, Ayame stopped laughing and went over to answer the door, catching her breath. Kouga smoothed out his hair with his hand and looked at Rin. "Ready for this?"

They heard Ayame invited the person in and the door was closed. The female youkai called for Rin, who hesitated.

"I hope so. It's actually my first date after a really long time." Rin told him, picking up a white purse. He escorted his friend out to the living room and joined Ayame. Sesshomaru was waiting for her by the door.

Her date was dressed neatly in a ironed-white shirt, black dress pants, with a silver tie. His hair was loose and gleamed in the florescent lighting. She smoothed down the dress and gave him a small smile. "Hello, Mr. Sesshomaru."

"Miss Rin." Sesshomaru said.

"Well, we'll be leaving now. Don't forget to lock the door Rin-chan! And don't wait up!" Ayame flashed her a smile and pulled Kouga out the door.

"Um… would you like to drink something? I still have to get my shoes." She said shyly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and intimidated with her boss inside her home.

"A glass of water would be fine." He followed her into the kitchen and accepted the glass of water she handed him. "Sit anywhere you like. I'll be right back."

He nodded and looked around the living room as Rin disappeared into the hallway closet to take out her shoes. There were landscape pictures on the back wall, opposite of where the plasma television was. The sliding glass doors led out to the balcony, he could already see the New York towers from the entrance of the kitchen. There were a few bar stools with a back rest by a large green plant in the corner.

"Uh, I'm ready. How'd you like the view from here? I think it's beautiful, especially after ten." Rin said genuinely. Sesshomaru looked down at her and saw some white heels.

"Shall we get going then?" he offered her his arm.

"Of course."

* * *

Kagome sat on her bed, hugging her pillow close. Her gray-blue eyes were rimmed with red and dry tears lingered on her cheeks. Her mother had left a warm glass of hot chocolate with a dash of whip cream and marshmallows, knowing that it would cheer her up somehow. 

How did their relationship turn into something like this? They were doing so fine and were about to be married the following month. However, Inuyasha's heart lingered somewhere else. It just wasn't fair. She was so sure that he loved her fully and she him. So how did this happen?

She hiccupped, feeling the tears coming back full force.

It was that friend of his. Rin… how could he love her? Sure they knew each other for nearly all their life, but she didn't love him like she did. Did she? If she did, then why did she leave? She would never leave the person she loved. Even though Inuyasha grew tired and his attitude crescendos, she would never give up. She was always there for him, ever since that girl left him broken.

Kagome knew that Rin was important to Inuyasha, but wasn't she? She loved him for what he was, no matter how he looked. Living as a hanyou, not fully youkai and not fully human either, was hard. She wasn't afraid of him, wasn't intimidated. Underneath that tough and mean exterior of his was something much like hers, warm and kind.

Still… his last few words hurt, deeply.

After their conversation, her ice cream fell out of her hands in shock. With tears dripping down her face, she ran out of the park, not waiting for an apology. She looked back once and saw him crouched over, face buried in his hands in frustration and annoyance. She waved a taxi and ran straight up to her room, tossing a twenty and didn't even bother to take back the change.

And now, her tears were non-stop. She forgot how many days she stayed locked up in her room, with her mother bringing her meals and her brother coming in with their cat, Buyo, to try and cheer her up. The only time she ever got out of the room was to bath and use the toilet, but nothing more.

What could she do now? Wait for him to cool off? For him to apologize?

She didn't want their relationship to end right here, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. To have children and grow old, raising their grandchildren along the way. Then die old with him. There was so much she didn't know about being a wife, being a mother. She was afraid to go herself, but… with him, she would never be.

Sighing, she wiped away the rest of her tears and fell back onto the bed, watching the dark night fade away.

* * *

The car pulled up to the apartment. Sesshomaru put the car into park and looked over to Rin, who was unbuckling her seatbelt. Once that was done, she sat back and turned her head to his, their gazes catching. Immediately, a dark red blush streaked across her nose. 

"Uh, well… Thank you for tonight, it was lovely. And I really enjoyed it, Mr. Sesshomaru." She said to him, hoping that her blush would cool off a bit.

"My pleasure." Sesshomaru replied, looking at her glossed lips then back up to her dark caramel eyes.

Somehow, everything seemed to snap into place. The night, the stars, the tension, the contact. He leant forward, closer to her and her body responded. As the gap between them came close to nothing, there was a momentary pause.

A picture of Inuyasha's face flashed through her mind, but she shoved him back as their lips connected.

A spark traveled through their bodies as they shared the short-lived kiss. The youkai looked curiously at her as Rin abruptly pulled back from the kiss. He could hear her heart beating quickly and there was an unreadable raw emotion in her eyes as she opened them.

She graced him with a nervous smile, almost apologetically. "I… sorry, it's just that… was my first kiss." She told him, bashfully. "Well, I better get going. Good night, Mr. Sess—."

"Sesshomaru. There's no need for formalities while we're out of work." He corrected her.

"Then call me Rin. And thank you again. Good night, Sesshomaru." She nodded. "Good night Rin." he returned. Rin smiled and left the vehicle.

**

* * *

AN:** Whee, Happy Chinese New Years to you all! Unfortunately, I can't give anyone red envelopes since I'm not exactly married. Ehehe. And yes, some people don't have their first kiss until much later (take my mommy for example! XD)!

**MindIIBody : **hmm, I guess you could say that Kagura's resentful of Rin-chan, but don't be too sure. And yes, her antagonist will be drawn up into her real life story soon enough.

**Icygirl2 :** lol, thank you! I'm glad you're liking this so far.

**Weepinglotus :** Lady's back in the house! Whoot! Lol, thank you. And hem hem… perhaps your prediction might come true, but we'll have to wait and see… ne? And school, though harsh, is treating me pretty well, despite what occurred at the open house. (sweatdrops)


	9. Chapitre 9

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 9, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Ayame quirked a brow as Rin hummed a cheery song from the radio while preparing their breakfast. Ever since the writer came home, late last night, she seemed to be in the cheeriest of moods. Although she still hasn't told Ayame what occurred last night, the ookami youkai had a very good idea what happened. 

She smiled at her friend's happiness and went to flip through the mail she brought up after her morning run. "Bill, ad, ad… Free coupons to Filenes? Ad, boring news—Oh My God! Rin!" Ayame stared at the newspaper.

Rin turn to look at her housemate. "What? Did you make the front page?" she said humorously.

"No, but you did! Look!" the red head shoved the paper to the brunette. Disbelievingly, Rin took the paper and found the picture of Sesshomaru and her, sharing dinner at the Conpainons from last night. There was a snippet article and it was continued on the following page. Confused, she read the bold, large print and into the article itself.

"**New York Bachelor Hooks Up Again!** –Mr. Sesshomaru T. of Inu Publishing Inc. has finally broke out of his celibacy of five years (Ayame snorted at the statement) by secretly enjoying a date at the high and fine dining restaurant, Conpainons, last night. His date is a beautiful Japanese writer, better known as Mr. Rin S. ("How did they find my name?" she asked herself, bewildered) She moved to America not too long ago to seek a new publisher for her fascinating books of Japan's history… blah, blah, blah… she comes from an average class family and to have caught our hottest bachelor's eyes, she must have done some magic to enchant him. Most girls of the female population, now, without doubt, are quite envious of this lucky girl. As we all know, this CEO hasn't been entirely social with his many pursuers after the death of his fiancée five years ago. Sara Kijimotou was stricken ill with a rare case of SARS after returning from her homeland in China. Many said that he has grieved and vowed to never find another. However, this Ms. Rin seemed to have broken the ice. Some say that she's only into this relationship for his wealth and great inheritance since her own social status is above average to none. Can this writer spin her tales of love and happiness with Mr. Inu President or will her greed be the disastrous end to a possible love? Either way, the New York Daily committee gives them their best wishes." Rin finished, astonishment and disgust was written all over her face. She look across most of the paper and found more picture so them at the restaurant last night.

One of them was a clip where they were dancing to a small waltz. The other was when they were discussing the contents of her newest chapters and when she would receive her paycheck. The final one left her dumbfounded. They were sharing the kiss inside the car. How did they manage to capture that! It was so dark and there wasn't anyone following them, she would've guessed. But maybe it was someone's random shot? Unless he has a paparazzi following him. She paled at the thought. Who knew what else they caught while they were on their 'business' date?

"Rin-chan… are you okay?" Ayame placed a hand on her friend's arm, snapping her out o fher dread. "Um… I'm fine, just surprised. But you never told me that he has the paparazzi following him around or that he was previously engaged!" she muttered.

"Must've slipped my mind." The ookami said sheepishly. "Anyway, how'd they get your pictures?"

"No clue. Um… does he happen to have a paparazzi?"

"Yeah, forgot to warn you about that too, sorry."

"… Well, I'm goin gout for a walk. Need to drop off some postal along the way. Want me to pick up anything for you?" Rin turned to look at her friend as she slipped on her day-to-day tennis shoes and pocketed the apartment keys.

"No, I'm fine. Oh, Rin?"

"Yeah?" the clock ticked in the few seconds of silence.

"… be careful. Hose newspapers would spread gossip like wild fire. Okay?" Ayame said warningly. Rin nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling. The cell phone of his was on the table next to him, ringing every now and then. The screen blinked wildly every time it started vibrating then rang with the haunting tune from "Unwell" by Matchbox 20. He tried to ignore it, knowing well who it was. 

It wasn't his boss.

It wasn't his mother.

It wasn't even … her.

It was Kagome. The girl whose heart he had broken. He realized that they weren't meant for each other. No… he knew that their relationship was doomed from the start, yet he could not help but fell somewhat happy to be accepted fully by another being that wasn't his mother or dead father. He thought that things would work out, that it was possible that he could push aside the fact that it was impossible. He wasn't fully in love with her, no… at least, he doesn't think so.

His doubts were overwhelming him because now… he has no outlet.

Izayoi looked up at her son, watching as the many emotions flickered across his face. She finally found out what has happened to Rin, not through Inuyasha, but through her own maternal instinct.

Rin had run away, and Izayoi would only assume the reasons why.

Sighing, she changed the channel on the television, finding her afternoon channel for news. When she came to it, the Entertainment section came up.

"Today, for Internation News, we leanred that the famous Sesshomaru Tashio of New York, in America, has finally broken out of his singularity and was seen last night with a young female Japanese writer." Inuyasha shot up from his seat, attention all drawn to the screen now. "Her name apparently, is one of the well-known writers of Japan herself. Ms. Seijun Rin was seen with Mr. Tashio Sesshomaru at the Conpainons on what seemed ot be a date."

Pictures flashed passed the screen.

One of them was a clip where they were dancing. Rin's face glowed with a small flush. Sesshomaru's arms were wrapped around the young woman's waist, his eyes were unreadable.

Growling with his fangs bared, his hand crushed the cell phone on the table as he slammed his fist upon it. His mother just stared at the TV, with a shocked and dubious expression. How did this happen?

Then she noticed that Inuyasha ran up to his room, the door slamming behind him. She followed him up, hearing the sounds of drawers and closet doors being opened. Now worried, Izayoi opened the door and found Inuyasha throwing articles of clothing and other things from his room into a large opened suitcase. "What are you doing, Inuyasha? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to New York. That damned Sesshomaru…" he snarled, seeing his bastard brother with his best friend dancing made his blood boil.

"For Rin?" Izayoi asked.

"What else? Can't she see that he's playing with her! She doesn't belong there! She belongs here! In Japan! Not halfway across the world with that bastard!" the hanyou snapped, his mother continued to stare at him, a frown appearing on her lips.

"What about Kagome…? She's still your fiancée, isn't she? She's still wearing your engagement ring, Inuyasha."

He froze and stared at the ground with half-lidded eyes. She couldn't see her son's amber eyes when he answered her question. "It'll be better if we aren't together anymore. And Rin's important… too. I can't lose her, not to Sesshomaru!" his fists were clenched, claws digging into his flesh.

Sadness filled her eyes and she drew him into an embrace, allowing him to release all that built-up tension and frustration, offering the shoulder that he needed.

* * *

She threw the mail into the blue mail box and turned on her heels, feeling that something was following her at every corner. Or maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, the papers were everywhere; the front page of each included some snapshots of them being together from yesterday. Was her employer really that important? 

Sighing, the brunette continued to walk, eyes concentrated on the ground. She didn't watch where she was going, only following the cement road to wherever it led her. Shoes were everywhere, all around her and shadows were muddled together. Why did her life get so complicated whenever she was at –

**HONK! HONK!**

Her head snapped up at the sound and heard screeching tires of the on coming car. Her mind told her body to move, to jump out of the way before the vehicle reached her. However, her feet were frozen, planted firmly on the ground from shock-paralysis. A hand suddenly clasped itself on her shoulder and jerked her into the owner's arms, completely out of harm's way. Rin finally released the breath she didn't realize that she was holding and opened her eyes. Some murmurs echoed around her as the people finally crossed the street, leaving her with her savior. She craned her head to thank the person.

Calm amber eyes stare straight into the stunned caramel ones.

Irony was so obvious in her life right now… because her rescuer happened to be they only person that she had in mind.

"Ah! Mr. Sesshomaru!" a lush rose to her cheeks; she suddenly felt very self conscious with his arms around her waist and on her shoulder. He stared a while longer and asked, "Are you injured?"

His grip on her lessened a fraction but she was still caged.

"I'm fine, thank you… for saving me. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going…" her explanation trailed off. She didn't squirm, but inwardly she started to feel uncomfortable even though it did feel somewhat reassuring for her racing heart. "Um… you can let me go now." She said meekly.

Sesshomaru's arms fell from her body and she turned to face him. Part of her didn't want to be seen with him, but another part of her had so many questions to ask. "I would like to have a private word with you. Are you busy?" he said, looking straight above her head.

Rin considered his offer, and agreed. "Sure. I have some things I wanted to ask too…"

**

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AN:** Gah… my eyes and knuckles. I'm writing these chapters on paper in my ELA notebook (since I barely even used it, I only wrote 3 pages of notes for class. What a waste of a good notebook!) in PENCIL. And the led somehow always rubs off, which sucks big time because I fold my notebook and balance it on my knuckles while I type it up on my laptop. I could also barely distinguish my overly-beautiful handwriting so I have to squint every now and then, just to see what it said. Unfortunately, there'll only be another chapter or so before March. And I doubt that I could write during March because so many things are going to be happening then. Thank you for your support thus far! Review?

**Animegirl411 :** thank you, and I have checked it over. But personally, I'm not really a big Inu/Kag fan. I'm more Sess/Rin or Inu/Rin. Thanks for the suggestions nevertheless!

**Icygirl2 :** haha, everyone's digging into to 'gossip pictures!'. Thank you also!

**Babegalanime :** lol, I have no intention of stopping (with a few exceptions of stressful breakdowns but those won't be coming until a few more weeks later) or not updating this fic! And on the contrary, I find Inuyasha/Rin to be a curious pairing. However, I'll favor your opinion just because this isn't officially some pairing that you'll see everyday. It's a crack!pairing to me!

**Sphinx :** thank you! I hope that you'll look forward to what I have installed for Inu and Kag's in the future chapters!

**Rinreddot :** Wah, new name! This one's cute! And you don't have to be a serious reviewer because I know that there's always people reading but never review (I should know, I'm one of them!). And I'm still happy nonetheless when I receive your review! As for the open house, ugh. I was the only student in all my classes that went and all my teachers decided to pick on me. I was so ashamed. Wow, first person to NOT sympathize Kagome. I guess there's a first for everything. But I do really want to ask why you think so. Thank you!

**Nicole :** Ooh, thank you very much. But do you mean more fanfics? I have a drabble series and two other completed RinSess fanfiction on my profile page. Take a look! And have fun!

**MindIIBody :** thank you! And yes, they're having the rough end of the bargain right now, but expect more angst! Mwaha As for Rin and Sesshomaru, we shall see how it goes in the next chapter! Thanks again for reviewing, although I do hope that Kagura isn't too mad at me. Lol.


	10. Chapitre 10

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

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Chaptire 10, 

By Winterwing3000

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They just sat there, their beverages sitting in front of them untouched. Sesshomaru stared down at Rin with expressionless eyes as she clenched and unclenched her hands on her lap. 

So many questions ran through her mind, yet no words came through her lips. Even though she agreed to talk and even decided that she has some things to ask him, Rin suddenly felt uncertain. She spoke out without thinking it through and made a hasty decision without knowing the possible outcomes. Then again, this has always been one of her weak points as a person, not a writer. Slowly, she analyzed this situation as one of her short stories, or rather, a series novel in the making.

She shouldn't ask directly, maybe a more indirect approach. Even if they went out once, it doesn't mean that they were together, there were feelings to expect and relations to secure. Rin didn't wish to diminish her current friendly relationship between her boss and herself. She bit her lip; she'd never get into these situations when she had InuYasha with her…

"Speak your mind, Miss Rin. It would be unwise for the both of us to leave here with doubts and questions left unanswered." Sesshomaru said blandly.

Sighing, Rin nodded. "I'd like to know… where do we stand exactly? You were previously engaged and have been distant ever since. Am I merely a replacement or am I just an employee you're interested in knowing better?"

The inuyoukai leant back in his chair. "Where do we stand is not for me to decide, Miss Rin. It is where you feel most comfortable and I shall respect your decision and explanation. And no, you're not a replacement. My fiancée was her own person, even though you both are very much alike physically speaking and you are a different person than she. Sara was Sara. You are Rin. Also, yes, perhaps I am interested in knowing you better." A small glint shone in his eye.

Taken aback by his forwardness, a tiny smile crept upon her lips. "I see. Then I'm very much interested in getting to know you as well, Mr. Sesshomaru. And thank you for answering my questions. But I was wondering, can you answer one more question for me?"

"Of course."

""How will this be explained to the public? Especially the paparazzi? I don't really mind how they see us, but it is somewhat disturbing to see myself on the paper just for idle gossip." She frowned.

"If you would like, I can arrange a meeting interview with the paparazzi so that I can introduce you nation-wide to the American population and you may most likely be asked many questions then about the rumors between us. It is your choice in how to answer them." He answered.

"Hm… I do hope that it'll clear the rumors and falsehood. Unless they misinterpret us even more and twist it into some fairytale for public earnings." She said wryly.

Silence fell again and they quietly drank from their cups. Rin continued to stare at her cup of red liquid. The ripples of tea still as she set it down, a final though in her mind. Steeling herself, the writer asked, "Can you tell me what she was like? Ms. Sara that is. But, you don't have to; I'm just being really nosy and-."

"…One would say that she was charming and beautiful on the outside, but completely the opposite within. But one must never judge a book by its cover, correct?" he said, looking out the window. She nodded mutely with understanding.

"She wrote under a pseudonym. As you've probably know by now from the paper, she was from China and her writing was also published within my company. She has written for three years before I knew her…" a distant gleam shone in his eyes. And a cell phone's ring disturbed his monologue. Rin checked her pockets and found that it wasn't her call.

Sesshomaru answered his cell and stood up. "Unfortunately, I'll have to cut this meeting short. The office requires my presence."

"Ah… well, don't let me keep you, Mr. Sesshomaru. But thank you… for talking to me and settling my worries." She said with a slight smile. She proceeded to get up from her own chair and held out a hand to shake with him.

Sesshomaru slipped his larger hand into hers. "It was my pleasure. However, I have one final request. Would you like to join me for a brief visit to the Empire State Building tomorrow night? I have a short conference in the late afternoon and I could give you a short tour around downtown afterwards, and have some dinner. Unless you have earlier plans?"

Rin's caramel eyes lit up. "Oh, if it doesn't bother you too much! Thank you so much, Mr. Sesshomaru! Um, what time would be most convenient?"

"Near 5 in the evening should be fine. Should I pick you up or are you able to come to the building yourself?"

"I'll be able to get there myself, thanks. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Till then, Mr. Sesshomaru! Bye!" she smiled brightly and hastened out the café's door.

Sesshomaru left a tab and went out as well. Things were indeed becoming very interesting.

* * *

"Goddamnit!" Inuyasha snarled. "What the hell do you mean that there are no available spots? This is an EMERGENCY! I'm not going on a damn vacation you bastard!" he slammed his hand on the counter top, startling the woman. 

"Sir, please calm down or I'll have to call security for your disturbance. And I'm sorry, but there are no more seats open for New York or even America until later this month. People are traveling these days and they've pre-booked their flight tickets." The attendant reasoned, her knees shaking as the hanyou's face suddenly shot in front of hers.

"Give me a damn flight ticket or you won't be coming back here tomorrow once I talk this through with your boss!" he hissed, eyes turning slightly red. All of a sudden, he was pulled away from the counter. Izayoi stepped from behind her son, an apologetic expression on her face.

"I'm sorry for the way he's acting, but please, are there any spots available on any plane that would be either connected or flied directly to America?" the mother said, shooing her son away.

The attendant breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled nervously, "I'm sure that you've heard ma'am, but all flights are booked and even the second class seats are full."

"Then perhaps next week? Surely not every flight is booked. Please, check closer? There's truly an emergency." She said, a gentle smile on her lips. "And price isn't really a matter."

"Um… well, there _is_ one flight, first class seats on triple A. But I might recommend you to wait another three weeks, when the travelers clear up. The price is ridiculous, even if I have to say so myself." The woman said to Izayoi.

"It's fine. I'll take one. Oh," Izayoi bit her lip and bent closer to the airport worker, "Could you please help me book another flight also to America on a different day, perhaps two weeks or so after?"

"Sure thing. That would be xxx yen please. Thank you for your service. The information regarding the flights is attached on the ticket." The woman handed Izayoi two packets, Izayoi thanked her and left the growing line with Inuyasha in tow, grumbling while glaring at the attendant, who gulped and turned back to her work.

The mother and son walked through the automatic doors, into the busy bus station and pick up stop of people with bags of luggage.

As they walked over to Inuyasha's parked car, Izayoi looked regretfully at the second ticket and let out a mute sigh, quickly pocketing into her handbag. She turned to her son, her wise eyes saddened. "Inuyasha." She said softly.

"Uh, yeah?" the silver-head hanyou turned to his mother. "What's it?"

"Are you sure that this is what you should be doing? Kagome should have some real explanation before you leave her so suddenly." She reminded him. "And of Rin. Don't you think that there's a reason why she left all of a sudden? You shouldn't rush head on into these kinds of things Inuyasha."

"What am I supposed to do? Sit back on my ass and wait for Rin to get hurt by that bastard? And I know Rin better than anyone else. Which is why I need an answer! Either she comes back to me or I go get her back." He said steely.

"Inuyasha… have you ever thought of what Rin thought of your relationship with Kagome?"

"What?" puzzlement was written all over his face. "Rin… she was happy when she saw Kagome with me. She's always smiling seeing us… why are you asking me these stupid questions? I'm going to get Rin back here and that's it! You know that she's important to me! She's the only one who… who…" Inuyasha was lost at words.

"Saw you for you, loved you for you and was always there when you needed her." Izayoi said comfortingly, placing her hand on his trembling arm. "She gave you the security of being who you are now, didn't she, Inuyasha? Rin touched a spot inside of you that you've kept secret and away from others."

"But you also opened up to Kagome, trusting her enough with your secrets and allowed her to hold onto your heart. And now, Rin is gone, Kagome is heartbroken. You've lost two of the most important people to you. But… you can only choose one Inuyasha. The one who loves you or the one who you love."

* * *

Inuyasha grabbed the towel off the rack, water dripping everywhere from his wet hair. Throwing on some slacks, he proceeded to dry his platinum mane, heedless of the steam trapped in the room. 

Soon, he tossed that aside and stared at the fogged up mirrors. Opening one of the side mirrors, he took out a comb and closed it. The three clouded glass panes stared back at him, slowly unveiling as the steam disappeared. When they cleared up, he saw his reflection, all three of them starring back at him with muddled golden eyes.

He imagined Rin, his best friend, his only friend, the girl who always held him as her first priority, the girl who always gave him the comfort he needed, the ear to listen, the shoulder to lean on, on the right side. Kagome appeared on his left. The new girl, the one that he started to love, the one who smiled for him, the one who appreciated his person, the one who decided to have a future with.

He had hurt her with his words, neglecting her sensitivity because he was focusing too much of his time on Rin. But what had changed between them? They were fine, always laughing and hanging out, sharing jokes and secrets, insecurities and deep thoughts. She was always there when he needed her and he was always there… for her.

No, that wasn't true. When he called, she'll be there. But when she called, there were times where he would be with Kagome, he fibbed to her that he was busy and that he promised to make it up to her, which he does.

They started drifting when he met Kagome, hiding his new found relationship from everyone. They talked less, didn't met up as often, he attention was given to Kagome, slowly breaking the bond he had with Rin. Did he lose her completely after he introduced them to each other that day?

He couldn't have. She was smiling, happy, and even congratulated him and for his engagement. Her smile reassured him that nothing was wrong, she even said so herself before she left the party.

Her smiles told him everything. It always told him that she was happy and that she needn't worry about her. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall her smiles, only to feel a painful jolt in his heart as he did. It felt familiar.

Losing something important to him. Like his father or his pet dog, both which he loved so much. His eyes snapped open in realization. It couldn't be.

He can't be in love with his best friend. She doesn't love him at all! They were just… just friends since they were kids! But no other explanation came through his head. He knew that Rin loved him, as a sister, as a friend and nothing more. Heck, she doesn't even look interested in him!

"_Ne, Inu? Would you think it's weird if I told you that I'm madly in love with you? You know, like in those soaps?"_

"_Che, of course! But I don't mind you seeing another boy. Just if I see you with another guy that's hurting you, I'll kick his ass outta this country for you. After all, I'm your best bud!"_

"_Haha, yeah… Best friends forever!"_

A frustrated growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he remembered her smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. He was so sure that they were only joking at the time…

And now… _You can only choose one Inuyasha. The one who loves you or the one who you love._

Letting out a cry of aggravation, he slammed his fist into the center mirror, shattering the glass and leaving cracked shards in his flesh. There was a hole in the middle of the mirror and spidery cracks ran across all the reflections, breaking them. He landed his forehead in place of his hand, watching as dribbles of blood slipped down the webs of glass.

**

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AN:** Finally, it came out! –dies- I might squeeze in one more chapter before my summer break (by the last week of June) and update more afterwards. Thanks for staying with me and for **Rebecca** and **Rinreddot **encouraging me to finish this chapter! Love all!

**MindIIBody :** Egh, eep! Scary Kagura! Lol, I'm sorry. I'm pretty predictable in writing, but if you met me in real life, you'll be surprise at my randomness every moment! And thanks for the encouragement sweetie! Update your own too! –pouts-

**Lucinda2323 :** Haha, I love them now, third best on my list. Inu and Rin rock my socks off… but Sess and Rin will always be number one. And I was really troubled and still am as to who Rin should go with. But alas, there can only be one hero in her story… or can there? –winks- Thanks!

**Fluffy-lover82192 :** Arigatou gozaimasu!

**Icygirl2 :** Thank you a lot darling! And you'll have to find out… no spoiling. I'm glad that the cast is still in-character. It'll be horrible of me to keep them out. And as much as Sess/Kag disturbs me, I can't help but feel that things could be so twisted for the both of them. Mwhahaha.

**Sphinx :** Thank you!

**RahneSinclairDaCosta :** I always figured that deep down, Inu doesn't hate Sesshy, only jealous and always wanted his approval. And it happens, when you think of it. I'm glad that I can pique your interest! Thanks.

**Rinreddot :** Inu/Rin? Where! –tackles- And thanks for kicking me into writing! I really don't hate any characters at all… even if they are bad. Haha, I soo weird.

**Rebecca :** Sweetheart, thank you thank you thank YOU! for reminding me that I have something really important to finish. And yes, a change is good for all of us, even though it draws an enemy closer.


	11. Chapitre 11

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

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Chapitre 11,

By Winterwing3000

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Kagome bit her lower lip as she walked up to the front door of her fiancée's home. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to press the doorbell and waited for the portal to open. When it did, Izayoi was at the other side of it; she seemed slightly surprised but smiled nonetheless. "Why, hello Kagome-san. Come in."

Kagome managed a small smile and thanked the mother. "Is… Inuyasha home?" His car was missing from the drive way, which gave her major doubts of his presence being present.

The older woman's smile drew down a bit. "Oh, you just missed him dear. Why don't we sit down in the kitchen? I happen to be making some stew. And I'm sure that you're thirsty, the heat these days are quite intimidating."

She trailed Izayoi to the kitchen, where it was cooler than a usual kitchen but it was filled with a homey smell of herbs, vegetables and meat. Kagome sat herself in one of the wooden chairs as Izayoi prepared some iced tea for the both of them. The mother turned back to the table and set the drinks down, taking a seat right in front of Kagome.

"Thank you." Kagome said, taking a sip of the cool liquid. It wetted her parched throat. "Um, Izayoi-san, do you know when he'll be back?"

Smiling sadly, Izayoi shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Would you like to wait for him though?"

Biting her lip, Kagome denied the invitation. "I just want to borrow the bathroom before I leave. I'll call him later tonight, thank you anyways."

Izayoi watched the young woman's retreating figure from her seat, sighing softly herself. "Anata… just what have you planned for these two boys of ours…"

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"Are you _sure_ that you know where you're going? And the stop? And which line to come home?" Ayame asked for the third time that afternoon as she watched Rin slip on her white flats. The girls spent the last two hours, directly after lunch, fixing out her outfit and hair, which at first, Rin was reluctant to bother with but did so anyways when Ayame persuaded her.

In the end, the writer was dolled up in a sparkling peach tank top and a knee-length white skirt with a small blue dotted flower design on the left corner. Her hair was neatly plaited and tied off with a short green ribbon. There was barely any make up on her face, only a dash of lip gloss. On her shoulder was a small tanned handbag.

The brunette smiled, "Yes, I know where I'm going, Ayame-chan. Sixth stop on the metro and stay to my left, walking down straight until I reached the department store and then turn right for three more blocks. Right? And I might just take the taxi home…" she added as an afterthought.

"Ahh… I could go and get Kouga to pick you up after our small dinner out. Then you don't have to waste that much money. Lord knows how much a taxi ride costs these days!" she shook her red head.

"I wouldn't want to disturb your date with Kouga-kun. After all, you both already did so much for me and I won't want to be a bother…"

"Nah, that's nothing. What are friends for if it's not for helping out?" the emerald eyed girl grinned and held the door open.

"I'll be fine! Have a blast tonight!" Rin said, walking toward the stairs down.

"Will do, will do!"

The phone rang just as she fastened the chain on the door; quickly she went over to the table and picked up the cordless. "Hello, Ayame speaking!"

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"Surely you want to tell Kagome-san about this before you leave Inuyasha… and you haven't been answering her calls yesterday." Izayoi said, sitting down on his bed, where his suitcase was locked. Her son, currently throwing in the remaining utilities into a duffle bag, grunted.

"She should know by now that it would be best for us to just break off the engagement." The zipper was pulled closed. Grabbing his car keys from the drawer, he stuffed them into his jean pockets, hefted his duffle over his shoulder and hauled the suitcase off of the bed.

Inuyasha went out into the hallway, going down the stairs as Izayoi looked around the half-empty room. The curtains were drawn aside; the pictures on the drawer were lain down. "Inuyasha…"

"Look, I told you, I'm not going to go back on my word. I'm going to New York and knock some sense into that tiny, stupid brain of hers and then drag her ass back here. We can talk afterwards." He opened the door and unlocked the trunk to his car, tossing in his suitcase and duffle bag.

"If you insist… but Inuyasha… keep this in mind. Where does Rin's true happiness lie?"

"Right here." He answered automatically. Going around the front of his car, he started the engine and took off, leaving his mother to once more look at the vehicle going down the street.

Inuyasha fumed inwardly as he drove. Rin did belong here, next to him. She has to because she belonged no where else. And he would sort her out and bring her back, even if it meant knocking her out and dragging her back here. She has always been happy here, until she fled for America.

She loved him, but he loved Kagome. Or so he had thought. And now, part of him yearned for Rin.

He had broken two hearts within a matter of weeks. How was he going to fix this?

Sighing, he shook his head. First he'll find Rin. _Then_ he'll figure out what to do.

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Idly, Rin fiddled with the hem of her top as she held on one of the handrails, looking down at her toes. She wriggled them and drew a giggle from the small toddler sitting in front of her, on his mother's lap.

She smiled at him and dived into her own thoughts.

"_Inuyasha-kun!" a small girl hiccupped, wiping tears away from her red-rimmed eyes as she sat on the edge of the sidewalk of some neighborhood, unfamiliar to her._

_Adults walked by with pitying looks, their own children trotting next to them with curious stares. She was covered with specks of dirt and dust from playing in the trees and walking around the forest trails. Her dark hair was loose from the two braids hanging behind her shoulders and her dress was slightly torn at the bottom. She continued to sob, muttering the name of her best friend, who was no where to be seen._

_It was over two hours when she became lost in this neighborhood. She was playing in the park, with her Inuyasha-kun, who ran back home to grab one of the air balls, surrounded by a forest and a cardinal happened to fly by, catching her attention immediately and led her down a couple of dirt roads before she quickly lost interest and decided to go look for some fruit among the tall, but heavily fruitful trees._

_And when she discovered some small squirrels living in the trees, she chattered and played with them and lost track of time. By then, she was frightened and panicked, trying to find her way back. She took many turns and roads, only to end up far away from where she had started. Now, she was crying pathetically on the cement sidewalk, waiting for Inuyasha-kun to find her. But her hopes dropped every moment the sun went further down from the sky._

_She drew her knees to her body, wrapping her arms around them as she continued to cry, whispering the name of her savior. Suddenly, there was a large SPLAT! And something wet landed on her head, her tangled hair now dripping wet._

_Lifting her head up, she found two older boys grinning at her from across the street with water balloons in hand. They whispered to each other and pointed at her at certain times. Eyes wide, she tried to cover her head with her tiny hands as more water balloons flew at her, drenching her. After a short barrage of balloons, she could no longer feel them hitting her head but instead, she heard the two boys yell as something growled in a feral manner._

_Looking up from underneath plastering bangs, she saw him, chasing after the boys with a large snarl pulled back on his face, his claws poised in front of him. "Leave her alone, you bullies! Or I'll come and eat you alive!" he snapped at them before turning to her._

_Gliding shortly in the air, he landed in front of her, crouching low and poked her forehead. "Rin-chan… you're wet." He stated bluntly. Resisting the urge to bonk him over the head, Rin-chan flew straight into his arms, wailing loudly._

"_Oi! Stop crying!" he protested, trying to push her back. "Ack!"_

"_I-Inuyasha-k-kun! I was s-so s-scared! I th-thought that y-you will never f-find me!" she stuttered, pulling him in by the two locks of hair hanging down from his temples._

"_Maa, maa… I came didn't I? Anyway, we should get home." he said, looking away embarrassed. Sniffling, she nodded at him with glistening eyes…_

Rin stepped out from behind the sliding doors and onto the platform. She flowed with the bustling crowd, going up the stairs and past the barred gates. She climbed another flight before reaching up to the outside, where more people were going back in forth, most of them dressed in their business clothing and held briefcases.

The small digital clock above the entrance of a bank read four thirty, which gave her more than enough time to walk the rest of the way there. Maybe she could wander around the building a bit on her own. Didn't Ayame say that they were open for tours till seven?

Smiling to herself, her steps became bouncy and she resisted the urge to skip down the street to reach her destination.

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Their dinner was at a small but exquisite diner with a bar. They both had a light meal and a little to drink. Rin saw a couple of American celebrities and surprisingly, Kagura and another man, most likely a youkai as well, but it was too far away to tell. There was also a small karoke area near the back, with middle aged groups singing while downing some kegs of beer. It was past eight when they left, deciding to take a short walk around the still lively streets.

"Do you miss Japan?" Sesshomaru said in askance. Rin tapped her chin. "Well, not really. Sure, there are a few things which I miss, but it is good to loosen up a bit and explore the world sometime."

"Where did you happen to live before you moved here?"

"Hm, the Tokyo districts, I'm more of an urban person." She shrugged. "Did you happen to live close by there?"

"Pretty close. About an hour drive out of town, nearby the suburban homes. My father preferred living near the wildlife and where it was less populated and quiet."

"Really! I used to live there and also, I have a friend who lives there! He's around my age, but a couple years older." She smiled reminiscently, eyes downcast. "In fact, you both look alike, in an uncanny way." She said, looking up at the inuyoukai.

"Perhaps I might have seen him around back then." Sesshomaru said smoothly, his brain gears working.

"Doubtful. We were only kindergarteners probably. Inuyasha and I met when we were toddlers, a bit older though." The brunette missed the narrowing of the golden eyes.

"Do you still have connections with him?"

"Ah, no… oh, ice cream!" Rin pointed excitedly at the vendor van parked on the sidewalk, a small cartoon tune playing merrily. "Would you like some? My treat!" she said, walking up to the van already.

Sesshomaru watched as she happily greeted the man behind the counter, exchanging some words. Barely three months, and yet, he couldn't help be drawn to her. Yet, it cannot be helped… after all… Chichiue—"Sesshomaru! Which would you like?" Rin asked, her head turned over her shoulder.

He slowly went over to her and came close enough to be looking over her shoulder. He lifted his left arm and pointed at one of the listed. "I'll take that." He said, his breath brushing over her nape. Rin suppressed a shudder as the man readied their desserts.

Shaking off the blush, she took out the exact change from her purse and handed it to the man as she took the ice cream from him. "Thank you! Have a good night!" she gave the seller another smile before turning around, right in front of Sesshomaru, who had taken a few steps back from her after taking his pick.

"Have a nice night, young lady!"

"Hmm… this is pretty good!" the writer said as she nibbled the top of the popsicle stick. Sesshomaru unfolded his ice cream sandwich and took a bite out of it, small enough so that his sensitive fangs won't give him a brain freeze.

Their walked ended when they reached the heart of Chinatown, Sesshomaru calling his chauffeur to pick them up. When they reached the bottom of Rin's complex, Sesshomaru helped her out of the car and walked her up to her door.

Fishing out the keys from her bag, Rin unlocked the door and turned to her date. "I had a really good time tonight, Sesshomaru. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"Um…" she avoided his eyes, her tongue running over her lower lip, suddenly feeling very timid. "Well… goodnight, I guess."

"Hn, goodnight, Rin." Sesshomaru lowered his head. Instinctively, Rin lifted her head, eyes now half-lidded. She shuddered, barely when his warm breath fanned over her mouth and across her cheeks. Golden orbs stared down at the beauty below him before his lips finally descended upon hers.

There was some shuffling of feet and a short cough before they broke their lip-lock. Rin looked to her side, blushing like a school-girl when she saw Ayame grinning from ear to ear as Kouga smirked. Clearing his throat, the demon wolf looked at his boss. "So, if you don't mind… we'll go in ahead."

Rin and Sesshomaru stepped away from the door, allowing the couple to enter the apartment room. Awkward silence rose upon them before Sesshomaru turned to hold the door for her. "Uh, thank you." she smiled and turned to go in when his voice interrupted her in mid-step.

"Perhaps you would like dinner on the same day next week?"

Blinking, she nodded. "Is Monday alright?"

"Yes." Said he, "If you can, meet me at my office at 6."

"Sure."

"Till then I suppose."

He closed the door behind her as she stepped in, leaving her to stare at the wooden portal as he left. Another date… so quickly? Well… not that she minded, but still…

A sailing cushion from the couch came at her head, whacking her out of her trance. Realizing that her previous audience was sitting behind her in the makeshift living room, she picked up the pillow and huffed, stomping over to her friends and threw the cushion back at the two laughing wolves then proceeded to her room.

"It isn't that funny you know!" she called back before slamming her door close, the laughter growing louder as she did.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Kuso," Inuyasha cursed as he exited the nth hotel he had visited and into the large crowds of New York. It stunk and was overpopulated here in America. After arriving late last night, he sought out a cheap motel and slept uneasily till early morning from jetlag. Breakfast was skipped and he had been searching for her for the whole morning, now going into afternoon.

He had searched throughout most of the streets, whirling around every time as he saw the chocolate brown hair of hers, but only to be disappointed when it was not her.

He checked the parks, the shops, the apartment buildings, even some hotels. But to no avail.

How hard was it supposed to be in order to seek out one short, Japanese, brunette female in this small city?

Very hard.

Looking up into the sky, as if searching for any given signs of her, he saw a few large commercial billboards atop of buildings and one definitely caught his eyes.

It was Sesshomaru, in his usual cool and stoic manner, staring down at the crowd. The large print was a logo, featuring the publishing company of his to all other writers. Snorting, Inuyasha turned away, disgusted at his older half-brother's face and was about to walk away.

When he immediately remembered what Rin exactly _was_…

Smirking, the hanyou wheeled around on his heels and headed down to one of the phone booths in one of the parks near by. "Sankyuu Kami-sama." Now his searching range was narrowed into three destinations and he'll find them in order.

First stop, directory to Sesshomaru's. No doubt that he'll be able to run into that bastard on his way there. If he doesn't, then he'll snoop around a bit and probably find what he needed for his second stop.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Rin waited as Sesshomaru finished putting away his office papers and capping his ballpoint pen. The desktop screen on his table flickered off with a message, 'Goodbye, Sesshomaru T.' and clicked off. He slipped some papers into his briefcase and immediately, Jaken waddled out from behind Rin and picked it up, struggling as he did so.

The brunette giggled as the small assistant did that. "Would you like some help, Jaken-san?" she asked, bending down on her knees.

The impish youkai huffed and glared at her with his yellow bulbous eyes. "I'm fine."

Rin blinked a couple of times as the green demon suddenly fell over with a plop and a slight reddish bruise grew on the back of his head. Contents of the briefcase spilled on the carpeted floor.

"Jaken, shut up." Sesshomaru said in a commanding voice, brushing past the fallen imp.

Jaken quickly got onto his knees, head bowed to the ground. "Hai, of course, Sesshomaru-sama. Whatever you say!"

"Shall we go?" the inuyoukai asked, sweeping out a hand to Rin. Her befuddled look washed off of her face and melted into a smile.

"Sure." She took his hand and walked along side the tall youkai. The writer only looked back once with a look of sympathy toward the green youkai.

The exited the building and into the large parking lot, where Sesshomaru's black Porsche was driven right next to them by a valet parker. Sesshomaru opened the passenger side door for Rin and took the front wheel when the driver opened it for the business youkai. "Have a good evening, sir." the valet bid and closed the door.

Sesshomaru nodded and gave him a few folded bills through the opened window and drove off.

"Anyway, did you receive the manuscripts that I've sent? I hope that you did, I was having some trouble continuing with those two chapters." Rin said casually.

"Yes, I have taken a glance at them earlier this week. The editors will go over most of the details and report back to me before I notify you of what I think, as always." Sesshomaru told her, keeping his eyes on the sunset road. "As for tonight's dinner, I hope that you do not mind Chinese cuisine for dinner. I've made reservations earlier this afternoon"

"Not at all. I kind of miss Asian cuisine ever since I came here. Not that the food here is bad, but I find it hard to completely adapt to the American diet. The grease and all." she said sheepishly. "But the pizza here is very good, compared to the ones I had in Japan."

"Aa."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Storming into the building, Inuyasha immediately jumped to the front desk, scaring the receptionist who was chatting animatedly with someone on her phone while checking out her sparkling green polished nails.

"Ah-I'll call you back." She hung up. "How may I help you today sir?" the female worker eyed him, soaking in his silvery hair and dark yellow orbs, not to mention his figure.

"Where's Sesshomaru's office?" he asked gruffly. Those damn plaques by the door only listed the pointless departments.

"Uh, did you have an appointment with Mr. Sesshomaru? Because he checked out about half an hour ago." She said dubiously. "Would you like to reschedule?"

"Teme…" he growled darkly, slamming a fist into the countertop, leaving a slight dent. "Does he have some type of assistant?"

A flash of fear entered the receptionist's eyes at the dent. "U-Uh, well… there's Mr. Jaken, but I think that he's ab-."

"McPhee! Where did you send those documents!" a loud squawk came from behind the opening elevator doors a couple meters away from them. "Sesshomaru-sama will need them promptly by to-ACK!"

Jaken croaked and fell over onto the ground when Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of him, dangerously glaring. "You… I know you." the inu hanyou crouched down and lifted the tiny youkai by the nap of his shirt, brining him to eye level with Inuyasha.

"You're that annoying toad that followed Sesshomaru-teme around." Inuyasha stated. "And that means you still know him…"

"You! You filthy half-breed! How dare you refer to Sesshomaru-sama with such vulgarity! Unhand me at once!" the imp screeched, swatting unsuccessfully at his greater captor.

"Not until you answer me." the hanyou said menacingly, cracking his other hand's knuckles.

Gulping, Jaken feared the worse. But his stubborn will made him refuse abruptly, adding a few insults along the way. A large lump ended up on his head, adding another tower next to the one given to him by his boss.

"Now… where did Sesshomaru go!"

"H-He went with that new girl… Seijun for dinner." He mumbled, looking away. "The Pearl Garden downtown…"

In less than a second, Jaken found himself on the floor; face first and the door to the building opened. Picking himself up, he dusted his attire, grumbling. When he glanced away from the closed glass doors, he saw the receptionist gaping at what had just happened before her.

"WHAT!" he shrieked in annoyance, part of his pride gone.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Just as they exited the high class restaurant and into the car, dark grey clouds cloaked the already night skies, hiding the moon from view. And then a slight drizzle came down.

Traffic lights, large buildings, people, boutique shops, and apartments flashed by the window, which was slowly being covered in clear drops of rain. Cars on the highway looked like fireflies, moving quickly in the other direction. When the car entered the familiar neighborhood, small, cherished memories came flooding into her mind.

_Two small figures darted out from the shelter of the house and into the rain, one with a bright orange raincoat and the other a cap on the head. They jumped in puddles without a care, splashing each other and racing around the front yard._

_Rin picked up some mud, molding it into her small hands and then ran over to Inuyasha, smearing it all over his face and hair. Giggling, she quickly dashed away from him while he growled playfully and came after her with a mud ball, tripping in the puddles as he did .The rain has long since ended when they wrestled in the mud._

"Ne… Sesshomaru?" Rin asked hesitantly, suddenly looking away from the window to face him. "Would you mind if we walked the rest of the way back?"

Nodding, Sesshomaru had parked his car a bit away from her apartment. Taking out a black umbrella from the glove compartment, he got out of his car and escorted her out of her seat before locking his car. They stood in the rain for a moment of silence and proceeded down the wet road, avoiding the puddles at the curbs and sewage drains.

Suddenly Sesshomaru stopped walking in front of her. The young writer looked up as she bumped into him, and saw him inhale slightly then turned his head to the left. She followed his gaze, wondering what had suddenly caught his attention.

A man stood there, eyes starring straight at them, wet from the long drizzle.

"I-Inuyasha…?" Rin stammered, brown eyes grown wide as she stared at the silver-haired hanyou standing just a few steps away from her.

The rain came down earnestly.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

**AN:** I'm back and safe at home now! Sorry for the delay (and spare me the death threats please!), but I was in France for a long month and I hope that this chapter makes it up for you. And ignore the stupid linebreaks I made with Xx's. Fanfiction has been uber mean to me the past week, not even letting me UPDATE my story! Rwar. Comments and criticism are very much appreciated!

**Rebecca :** And you made my day for reading and reviewing! As I've said, I'm sorry for the delay, but I've just returned from my school trip to France. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Icygirl2 :** Thank you.

**DaughterofBastet :** "Chapitre" is French, lol. And thanks!

**MindIIBody :** Mwhahaha, Sesshomaru, a darling? Of course not! I'm going to keep him all to myself, so he's going to be MY darling! But we'll see… his role will be slowly developing in the next chapter.

**RinsBleedingHeart : **Wow, that's a lot of username changes! And yes, everything is going just well, I just dind't have any type of internet/computer access in France. After all, I have to PAY in order to use the internet there, which really sucks. If I didn't have to pay, I would've just jumped into writing my stories like crazy!


	12. Chapitre 12

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own.

* * *

Chapitre 12,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Rin bit her lower lip nervously as she watched the kettle boiling on the stove. The encounter from just a few moments ago still bothered her. Inuyasha now sat in the living room couch, barely twenty feet away from her. Sesshomaru…

Well, Sesshomaru, Rin decided that it would've been best if she handled this on her own. She noticed a sudden tension between the two males when they faced each other downstairs. It was uneasy and high strung, as if it were a rubber band, stretched to its limits. But it would've been rude if she told him that he could leave all of a sudden. After all, she was the one who asked if they could both walk in the rain together.

Inuyasha had started toward the couple, a furious look upon his face. His hands were clenched by his side as he was about to bark at them.

Sesshomaru almost seemed to have read her mind and curtly excused himself after handing her the umbrella. He walked off in the downpour, hands in his pockets, not a word more. She felt a bit disheartened at the abruptness of his departure, something else churning in her stomach as he left without the usual goodnight.

The kettle whistled loudly and brought her back to the present. Quickly, Rin turned off the stove and fished around the cabinets for some tea bags before she remembered that Inuyasha detested tea and its pungent smell. So she reached for the bags of hot cocoa stashed near the corner of the top cabinet.

Grabbing the cups, she mixed the drinks slowly. Part of her felt nervous of what was to come. There was definitely a big verbal fight coming on, maybe even a loud shouting match if unavoidable. The last thing she would've imagined was him coming all the way to the United States just to look for her.

She looked into the steaming cocoa, her dark reflection meeting her eyes. The question now, was why. But she was more afraid of the answer than asking it.

"Rin." Came the quiet call.

Startled at Inuyasha's silent approach and his calling her name, Rin jumped about a foot into the air, knocking over the hot beverage. Her hand touched the spilt burning liquid on the counter causing a painful hiss to escape her lips. She tried to cool it by bringing it to her lips when her hand was snatched away from her and immediately shoved underneath the kitchen sink, where the cold water was rushing out of the faucet.

Despite the sudden yank was protested by her shoulder, her hand met with the cold relief pushed it aside.

"You've gotten clumsier since you've left." The hanyou remarked, staring at her hand, which was starting to turn numb from the coldness. His grip on her wrist didn't lessen.

Rin bit back a retort and stared at his face instead. It has been a while since she's seen his real face. The silver bangs hanging roughly around his forehead, brushing just above his eyes. The darken complexion from the Japanese sun. The triangular dog ears barely twitched at the sound of the water. His face remained stoic, but his eyes, so many things were held inside.

They seemed darker, murky gold color with all the emotions. Not the bright gold she used to see.

Hesitating, she spoke in a soft whisper, "Inuyasha…"

He swiftly looked her way as he heard his name from her lips. She swallowed deeply, the words now caught in her throat. "… Could you please let go of my hand? It's kinda getting numb…" she mumbled, tugging gently at his grasp.

He let her hand go as it were hot coals. "Thanks." She held it to herself and went to get the first aid kit from under the sink. Opening the easy-open latch, she pulled out the packets of disinfectant wipes and tried to open it with one hand only to find it difficult.

"Um… Help me open this please?" she held it in front of him, watching as he easily tore the plastic pocket. Rin reached out to take it from him only to have a clawed hand delicately pick up her injured hand and cleaned it carefully as he noticed that she started wincing.

"Sorry." He murmured barely. He finished swabbing it and grabbed the gauze and bandaged it.

Silently, Rin nodded when he finished. She went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of soda and handed it to Inuyasha.

Silence seemed to stretch and stretch as Inuyasha looked down emotionlessly at the cold can. He popped it open, breaking the pregnant pause with the sizzling of carbon dioxide.

"… Why did you leave?" Inuyasha asked, lifting his head up with brightly narrowed eyes.

Rin sighed, knowing that this would eventually come. "Inuyasha… you wouldn't understand."

"What I don't understand is why you didn't tell me. So tell me so that I can understand!" he retorted, temper slightly flaring.

"I knew that you would get angry. Isn't that good enough of a reason to not tell you?"

"If you knew that I'd be angry, then why leave Japan at all!... What happened Rin? I know you. You don't just up and leave me like that, you'd never do that." Rin fidgeted with her wrapped hand and offered an excuse, "Maybe… you really don't know me like you think you do."

"Bull." He snorted. "You forget that I know when you lie to me Rin."

A spike of frustrations peaked. "It's not bull! Honestly Inuyasha, when I thought that we'll be able to talk about this like adults, you start treating me like I'm ten! I'm almost twenty five this year, isn't it about time that I make my own decisions?!"

"Isn't it time for you to give me a good reason as to why you made this decision then?! Or did you forget Rin that there are no secrets between us?" the hanyou snarled almost bitterly.

"Secrets? You're the one to talk, Inuyasha!" Rin stated firmly, anger biting her eyes. "I'm not the one who kept an engagement secret from his own best friend! And for Kami knows how long!"

"That's not the point here!"

"Then what is? Well, let me answer it for you. We've both kept secrets from each other. We've both made decisions on our own accord! That promise has been broken ever since you were engaged to Kagome!"

"Is that why? Why you left Japan? Because of Kagome? What has she ever done to you?!" Inuyasha demanded, feeling slightly defensive when Kagome was suddenly brought into their escalating argument.

"A little too much! And you don't even realize it!" Rin cried, fed up with the tracks of circles they were both making, ran to her room, immediately locking it as she closed it. Inuyasha seemed to have reached there just as she locked it.

"RIN! Open the damn door!" the knob rattled violently.

"No!" Rin sniffed at her childlike behavior. This was starting to become all too familiar.

"Rin, open it unless you want me to break it down! And you know that I can do that!" Inuyasha threatened, banging on the door this time.

"Just leave-- _Me alone!" a girl's voice of 9 shouted from the other side of the door._

"_Grr. Rin, this is just stupid you know! So come out already!" Inuyasha continuously twisted the handle and pushed the door to his room._

"_No! You'll laugh! Just like those other kids!" she wailed, pulling at her unfortunate hair._

"_Oh come on! How bad can it even be?!" he said, crossing his arms across his chest. His right foot started tapping in impatience. "Rin." he drew out her name slowly._

"_Just go away! I don't want you to laugh at me too!" the girl sobbed as she buried her face into her knees, arms wrapped about her. "Just let me die here!"_

"_Rrr… if you don't open the door, I'm gonna punch a hole in it! One!"_

"_Iie!"_

"_Two!"_

_Rin ignored his countdown and merely crawled underneath Inuyasha's full-size mattress, throwing the freshly pressed blankets over her head, curling into a ball._

"_Three!"_

_Nothing happened._

_Five seconds more and Rin became curious as the door did not fly toward the window in pieces and peeked out to her suddenly quiet surroundings. Just as she managed to poke her head out, she was pounced from behind and gave a loud sh-_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The door hung off its hinges, bits of wood scattered over her head. Rin turned back to look at Inuyasha, who stood almost smugly at the defeated door before marching over to the brunette. He grabbed her forearm and hauled her up, ignoring her loud protests.

"You're coming back with me to Japan, right now! I'm sick of this game you're playing." Inuyasha growled, about to lift Rin over his shoulder when there was another door slammed open and a large gust of wind knocking into their faces.

Something pulled at Rin and another drove Inuyasha into the floor. When the mysterious wind calmed, Inuyasha sat up, wiping the trickle of blood coming from his mouth. "Kuso…" he cursed, looking up when he noticed that Rin was no longer in his arms.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my apartment?" Ayame growled, Rin safely in her arms. Kouga was standing near Inuyasha, crouched and ready to attack.

Rin, dazed at her friends' sudden entrance, snapped out it when Kouga gave a warning growl from within his chest, which Inuyasha happily returned, eyes turning prowl-like.

"NO! Don't fight. Ayame-chan, it's nothing. Please, tell Kouga-kun to stop. He… that's my friend." Rin said in a panic.

"Doesn't treat you like one, for sure." Kouga snorted, not easing out of his stance. He turned to the inu hanyou. "Leave now and I might spare you, you mutt."

Barring his fangs, Inuyasha did not recede. Noticing this, Rin snapped at him. "Go Inuyasha. You don't want to fight him." Softening her tone, she added, "Please. Not tonight… you know that we both need time. I'll see you later."

Grunting, Inuyasha stood up and threw one last glare at Kouga. Ayame reluctantly released her friend from her hold and stayed on guard, hovering protectively near her as the hanyou walked over to them.

Just as he was about to walk pass the girls and out the door, Rin turned and gently placed her bandaged hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry…"

He shrugged her off. "Yeah."

After he left, Rin had never felt so cold inside.

* * *

Sesshomaru stepped into the study, shedding of his jacket and briefcase. A maid scurried in and left a tray of freshly brewed tea and a plate of crumpets before moving on to picking up the clothing and bag.

She dismissed herself as the inu youkai settled into the plush leather recliner in the corner of the room. Shelves of books were aligned on one side of the room, a rolling ladder attached to the shelf. A small fire place was built just across the books, the logs sitting there unlit. A mahogany desk sat in front of the glass window, a leather chair behind it. Recliners and small loveseats were arranged in the room.

He stared straight outside the windows; his mind carefully analyzed the facts laid before him. Rin who had no reason to leave her homeland, fled to the United States after receiving his email. She could have denied his acceptance and remained in Japan. But she chose to come here. For what reason, most likely had come.

After all, she had mentioned a friend who looked like him. There were only two people in the world, which he had resembled closely. One of them was his father, who was no longer of existence. The other was that filthy half-breed. It was unusual to have found his scent in the lands of New York, and the more curious thought was that he knew Rin.

No, Sesshomaru was not blind. He noticed how Rin had tensed almost instantly and her scent had changed immediately from calm to fear. Her fear, it was addicting though. Much like a prey's who has finally been cornered. Perhaps that was her reason. To avoid Inuyasha. A new question formed. Why would she? She has spoken so fondly of him that night.

Another factor must be coming to play, the main reason for Rin's refuge here. Especially when she replied so rapidly to his proposal.

He had caught her message with her story attached in his company's email. However, it wasn't the story which had caught his attention, but the author. Her last name. It was all he needed to immediately accept her.

"_Sesshomaru, are you truly leaving?" InuTashio asked as he stood at the front door of their house, looking at his eldest son's back. "Is this what you really desire?"_

"_Should you not be asking Haha-ue that instead, Chichi-ue?"Sesshomaru replied stoically, his pony tail tied high above his head._

"_Your mother does not wish to discuss this. However, you are welcomed to stay here, Sesshomaru. Your mother has not asked you to leave, neither has Izayoi." The father reminded._

_The young inu youkai turned to look at his sire. "It is my decision to leave with Haha-ue."_

"_Your mother can not provide for you Sesshomaru, understand that at least."_

"_And you have nothing more to give than she." Sesshomaru replied curtly._

_Sighing, InuTashio gave up. "If you should insist, then let me tell you this once."_

_He stared ahead, eyes closed, ears opened. "It was not a mistake that I made against your mother. Your mother chose this and her actions judge her. However, there is one last warning. Soon, a descendant of the holy family, whose roots reach farther back than ours, shall come with something that is yours. You will not know who or what she may possess until you open your heart to her. She will bear a weight equal to the world. She will be Seijun."_

_Inwardly he kept the words but scoffed outwardly. "You jest Chichi-ue."_

"_Believe what you will. But before you leave, would you not say farewell to your younger brother?"InuTashio gestured behind his pants, where a small pair of dog ears twitched at a silvery head popped out. Wide round eyes stared at the tall figure standing a few meters from him. "Maru-niki." The imprecise words slipped._

_Sesshomaru turned around and stared at the innocent child who was no taller than his knees hiding behind their father. He looked so much like him yet so different at once._

… _It disgusted him._

A bare growl reached his throat as he banished the thought from his mind. It had been years since he thought back to his past. To the matter at hand.

Rin was right in his grasp. And Inuyasha comes to interfere, however, he could be a good pawn to this game. If all goes accordingly, Sesshomaru will find what she possesses which will belong to him.

Even if sacrifices are necessary.

* * *

**AN:** Oh dear. Such the longest of time since I've updated this fanfic. Times have been busy though, so no excuses are coming from me. I hope that this will satisfy your needs for an update and pull out the need for more! Anyway, how would you rate this chapter? I find it… unfinished and very circly.

**Anonymous: **thank you for the tip! I'll be sure to change it ASAP!

**Rebecca: **Thank you for your support! Sadly, I can't guarantee any quick updates because things are starting to build up and well, buildups takes time and brainstorm. France has been a thrilling experience for me. And yes, I happen to have a myspace. But I rarely visit. The user name to look me up is the same as my account.

**MindIIBody:** Sorry to have kept you waiting in suspense and slow boredom for so long!

**Icygirl2:** It's not a problem! France was cool, aside from the sweltering heat down near the Mediterranean!

**InuObsessed o.o: **Sorry, but I really wanted to leave it like that so that this chapter would have a better lead into it.

**Mayumi Crimson: **Thank you and cliff hangers are sometimes necessary.


	13. Chapitre 13

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre 13,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

The storm rumbled outside. Lightning flashed from her uncovered window. Shadows crawled along the walls of her room.

The clock to her right blinked two hours past midnight. Rin drew a heavy sigh, pulling her blankets closer to her body. She continued to stare out to the heavy pelting rain, the lightning and thunder playing as drums and cymbals.

After Inuyasha had left, Kouga had gone to by a new door as Ayame led her to the living room, sitting her down with a mug of orange tea. "Rin, sweetie, what's just happened?" Ayame asked. "Who was that man?"

She had remained silent for a while, looking at her reflection in the dark amber liquid. "… He was my best friend. From Japan."

"Best friend? From Japan? What's he doing here?" the female wolf looked half-puzzled. "You didn't mention any visits from any relations."

"He came here without warning. Even I didn't know about it." Rin answered. Something nagged her, told her that she was expecting him, sooner or later. Preferably, she preferred later. _Much_ later.

"Are you sure? You're still pretty shaken up." The red-head placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. The smell of fear and sadness racked the brunette's scent.

"… I'm fine. I'll be okay once I take a bath." She tried to smile, but she only came up with a half smile that barely looked natural. "Um… tell Kouga-kun thank you for fixing the door."

Ayame nodded, still gazing at the writer. "Sure thing. Want me to make you something?"

"Nah. I'm fine. Thanks."

As she entered the bathroom, Rin look a long bath, nearly soaking for an hour before pushing herself out.

When she came out, Ayame was already in bed, Kouga no where to be seen. She headed to bed with a notebook, a pen and a photo album in hand. She planned on writing the next two chapters of her own story, but came to a blank. All she did was doodle, blue pen marks scribbled on the line pages. Most of them included sad eyes, triangular fangs, and long oval heads. A couple times she drew down a cloud with a thunderbolt striking down from it. There were also interlocking circles, stars and wilting flowers. Eventually, Rin gave up on the idea of writing and placed it on her nightstand.

She turned to her photo album instead.

It didn't hold very many pictures, only the most important ones she managed to take with a cheap disposable camera. The first few pages were filled with photos of her family and ones of her youth with Inuyasha.

She didn't really remember her parents now. After all, they died early and she was thrown from foster home to foster home. And Izayoi practically raised her alongside Inuyasha. The ones of Inuyasha and she expressed happiness and child play. Never in one picture is there not a smile.

Rin had a dreamy glaze in her eyes as she traveled back to her memories.

"_Inuyasha-kun! Inuyasha-kun! Look at all the pretty kites!" a tiny bouncy girl with plaited braids, dressed in a cornflower blue t-shirt and a pale-pink pair of shorts. In her hands was a large butterfly kite with a trailing yellow tail. Standing next to her was a boy with silvery hair, eyes of gold. He bopped the girl's head with a large three-dimensional blue box kite._

"_Of course I can see it. I have better eyes remember?" he scolded the girl._

_Rin harrumphed and crossed her arms, careful of the thin paper kite in her hands. "I know, I know." She grumbled. "Sorry for not being like you."_

_Inuyasha looked down to her then looked up to the sky, trying to remain ignorant of her pouting expression. They stood there for a while longer, Izayoi a few feet behind them setting up the picnic basket._

_The little brunette gave up and marched off. "I'm gonna fly my kite." She said._

_Inuyasha watched from behind, his mouth drawn into a deep scowl. "Grr... Whatever! I'm going to fly my kite over there!"_

_Rin unraveled a decent amount of string from her spool, the kite down next to her feet. She picked it up and threw it into the air, the string hanging in a mess between the gaps of her fingers._

_The butterfly hung in the air, barely caught by the wind before falling down straight into the ground. Rin frowned at the crooked paper toy._

_She undid the strings and carefully lined it out in a line and left it on the ground. Rin went to pick up her kite and threw it up into the sky, hoping that the wind will catch it._

_The wind did, slowly lifting the butterfly into the air and it fluttered. The tail waved down to her. Clapping her hands in glee, Rin jumped with joy at her successful flying kite. She looked over to the other kites, watching as hers mingled with the different colored kites, steadily lifting into the same height._

_Rin looked on with awe as her kite nearly reached the clouds. It took her a few moments before she realized that something was unusual. How was it that her kite was going so much higher?_

_Gasping, eyes wide, Rin turned to look at her spool of string, only to see grass. Her head spun from side to side, trying to find where it had gone, but saw nothing. She returned her gaze at her kite, realizing that it was going further and further away from her. Trailing after the kite was the spool, at the ends of the string tied to it. It was dangling down at her, as if taunting her to jump up and get it, knowing that it was too far out of reach for her to get._

_But she tried desperately, jumping with all her might at the string. It kept slipping away from her hands, even when she touched it the slightest, it wobbled and continued to float away. Falling down on her rump, Rin cried, hand out to the quickly ascending butterfly._

_Suddenly a flash of blue appeared from her left, darting into the air and latched onto the long piece of string connected to her kite. It landed a few meters from where she was sitting, Inuyasha holding it down with his teeth. In his hands was his own spool, his kite far behind her._

_He walked over to Rin, removing the string from his teeth and into his other hand. He held it down to her. "Here." He muttered gruffly. "Now stop crying."_

"_Hai!" Rin smiled happily and dragged him with her to go to the higher hills._

Closing her eyes, Rin fell back onto her bed, feeling awfully tired as a certain weight pressed heavily upon her chest. What was she to do now? The meeting between them ended with much unsatisfactory and only enlarged the gap between Inuyasha and her. But she didn't want that.

She only wanted for him to come to her, after realizing how much she loved him and that how much **he** loved her. Rin scoffed inwardly. That wasn't happening as long as he's in love with Kagome. She had no chance against someone who he chose to love.

Sniffling, Rin felt her heart break again.

* * *

Triangular ears twitched occasionally from the rain drumming against it and the thunder roaring over head. The silvery hair was completely matted against his scalp and his clothes soak onto his skin. His hands were enclosed in his pant's pockets, head bowed.

Inuyasha kicked over a soda can in front of him. It landed a couple feet away from him, further down the sidewalk. The streets of New York had died down, though it would start up within three or four hours with the early risers of the state's population.

It was nearly two hours since he stormed out of Rin's current residence in fury and hurt. Just as he was about to carry her off and back to his rented room, he had been caught off guard by two wolves, both whom he had not be suspecting to be her roommates. However he was prepared to fight off any obstacles which came his way. What he could not believe was what Rin had told him leave, especially saying that he was weaker than that mangy wolf!

How many times, just how many times did he rescue her with his bare hands? How many times has he beaten up bullies who dared to harm her? How many times has he save her from dangerous harms? How many times has he shown her that he could defeat all that came to defeat him? How many times has he won in a one-on-one fight with another hanyou or youkai at school with her looking on disapprovingly?

Being frustrated with her lack of belief was one thing. But not getting anything out of her was even more irritating. He didn't ask for much, only for her reason of leaving him alone in Japan and only for her to come back home with him. She gave him nothing and obviously wished not to return from her actions.

Okay so maybe his actions were a bit harsh and he wasn't as understanding as she wanted. He was only excited and anxious of finally seeing her, of finally having the chance of having her by his side once more. He was relieved to have finally found the ending to the sorrow and loneliness and confusion that he had been slowly drowning in at her sudden disappearance.

It was however short lived as she vehemently denied his request.

But why did she not want to come back with him? What was it that was keeping her from Japan? She had no financial problems. She was working pretty happily despite her bullheaded editor. She and he had no problem with each other. At least… they didn't have any problem before he met Kagome…

His amber eyes widened in realization. Could it be…?

"_A little too much! And you don't even realize it!"_

He inwardly winced at the memory of her upset expression, eyes narrowed with pooling tears, anger present in them, her lips drawn into an impossible frown, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip.

How… How was Kagome the cause of her leaving?

Never mind that, he'll figure that later. What was keeping her here had suddenly appeared in his mind, as if the answer was quite obvious.

Sesshomaru, that bastard.

It didn't take him long to make the connection between Rin and that bastard half-brother of his. He was her employer and she was his employee. And they seemed to have a relationship that was more than one of a professional basis. Sesshomaru probably ensnarled her into a trap of his own sick pleasure. It wasn't hard to believe.

And Rin seemed pretty close and comfortable with him. Too close. It irked Inuyasha to no end.

The feeling of jealousy swept over him. There was absolutely no way he was letting Rin slip out of his grasp and into the claws of that damned brother of his. He was up to something. Something that involved Rin and it gave Inuyasha an unsettling feeling.

Suddenly something itched and tickled his nose. "A-Achoooo!"

Grumbling, Inuyasha rubbed his nose. Unsettling or not, he was going to kill someone if this stupid rain doesn't let up.

* * *

Sesshomaru leaned back into his seat, rubbing his temples and the bridge of his nose, eyes tired from the non-stop staring at the computer screen in front of him, blinking. It was the only source of light in the dark, dark room.

Growling inaudibly from overly sensitive eyes, the inu youkai glared with one eye outside of his window at the downpour and steadily moving electrical dragons striking down on the earth.

He had found nearly next to nothing while looking up various terms which could possibly relate to the Seijuns and Rin.

Looking at the papers which he had Jaken gather recently, Sesshomaru only spotted a few details which contain somewhat significant information concerning the history of the Seijun family. They were recorded to be one of the holy families which aided the ancient emperors of Japan. However, their line was mainly of female descendants and very few males. Like most clans back then, they had intermarriages, creating a purer line of offspring. But soon, males became scarce in the family and the number of females grew, thus having to marry outside of the family, slowly creating an impure linage each generation. They were said to have been extinct when the Bakufu Revolution in Japan rolled in. How was still an unknown.

Sesshomaru came to a few conclusions. One was the disease which spread throughout the country at the time. Another was from their own self-destruction by refusing to dirty the line any further.

"_You will not know who or what she may possess until you open your heart to her."_

Open his heart? Sesshomaru scoffed. "There will be no such need."

His plan will be set into motion if things worked his way.

* * *

She swept the grounds in front of the shrine. Her brother, Souta, just returned from school and waved at her as he walked to the grounds of their house, which was behind the main shrine. She waved back.

The birds sang their songs over head, enjoying the warmth and the sun of the slowly fading day.

Kagome sighed as she leaned her bamboo broom against one of the pillars of the torii. Almost a week had passed since she had seen him. She didn't dare to go back to the Takahashi's residence, even if Izayoi-san was there. Her relationship with her fiancé's mother was still in its early stages because she hasn't really been brought to Inuyasha's home more than three times.

Once was when she and Inuyasha had made the engagement official and told his mother of it. Second was the party, where she had helped cleaned up in the morning after staying the night. The third was their latest meeting, where Inuyasha hadn't been present and it was only she and Izayoi.

Kagome wouldn't say that she was uncomfortable around the woman because she was truly considerate and friendly but it felt awkward to not know so much of her future mother-in-law. Or… possible mother-in-law.

Something clenched her heart painfully. How could this have happened? Her whole world, it was perfect ever since she met him. But it all fell apart from the time when she met with Rin.

At first, Kagome was reluctant to meet this best friend of his. Sometimes, during their dates, she felt uneasy when Inuyasha would suddenly bring up stories relating to Rin. She didn't mind it at first, seeing how he spoke so fondly of her and Kagome was happy that he was sharing things of his personal life with her. It made her feel good to be a holder of his private life and of his secrets. She knew that he had grown up with a rough childhood, considering that he was not a normal child of today's people. He was a hanyou, a rare breed now among the human race.

Even rarer is a full blood youkai. But she hoped to never meet one of those. They were one of the evils to have walked upon the earth. She had studied briefly about them from the scrolls given to her by her grandfather. They weren't the most pleasant existences, having wrecked havoc and caused wars throughout lands without ends until the human population overpowered them. They were diminishing in numbers, but a few still live either in the open or in fear, hiding away.

But that wasn't the case. The case was Rin, the girl who somehow indirectly turned her once paradise into a nightmarish hell. She noticed that her exchanges of affection between Inuyasha became less, kisses lacking meaning and heat, hugs lacking the feeling of never wanting to part, and dates lacked the thrill of was to come. She was no longer kept on her toes, but tried to remain eager to go out with him, hoping that he'll forget of Rin's non-existent presence in Japan.

Her hope was blown out when Inuyasha completely broke her heart. She wondered what was it that she failed to do to keep Inuyasha's interest…

The birds tweeted, as if mocking her silence.

Something furry brushed against her leg, making Kagome jump. Looking down, she saw the family cat, fat as ever, rubbing itself on her, purring as it did. Smiling slightly, she bent down to pick up Buyo.

The feline purred and lazed in its owner's arms, content when Kagome racked her fingers gently between the ears. The young woman remembered when she did the same thing to Inuyasha, how his scowl immediately softened, his body going lax, and his head pushing against her hand.

They were happy, together and warm. They had all that they needed and wanted nothing more than each other's presence near. It was all that Kagome could've asked for, until things spiraled downward at Rin's departure.

Head bowed, the dark-haired girl didn't bother to brush away her bangs when the wind rustled them. The small diamond embedded into the silver ring on her right hand gleamed from the sunlight bouncing off it.

She hadn't the heart to take it off, not since Inuyasha himself placed it on her finger with so much love and care. They had been happily planning their wedding date, listing off friends to be invited, and looking for floral designs.

She could have all that back. She really could. Only if Inuyasha was hers again! But would she be able? Would she be able to replace his best friend? Would she be able to make Inuyasha choose her over Rin?

… No. She will. She will _definitely_ make him choose her over Rin. Inuyasha doesn't love Rin, his best friend, he loves her.

Lifting Buyo so that it was looking at her straight in the eyes, she told it firmly, "I'm going to get him back, Buyo. I'm going to get married, married to the man I love."

"I'm going to marry Inuyasha."

The birds chirped loudly in consent of her answer.

* * *

**AN:** Well, that was a very long period of time since I've updated! Sheesh, no I'm not dead! But I do hope that you liked this chapter. I think that it'll be a while till the next update. Apparently, being a sophomore isn't as easy as I thought! And I really want to punch Inuyasha and Sesshomaru! They are driving me crazy with their attitudes! Grrrrr… Anyway, leave some will you? More reviews Happier Me Quicker Updates. (Well, at least, I'll _try_ to have them up quicker.)

**InuObsessed o.o :** -coughs- Yah, well… let's just leave it there. And I'm glad that you like it!

**SessRin2003 :** You're welcome. And no worries, it'll… be happy… kinda… maybe not. We'll see!

**Marian Salvador :** Thank you so much for your praises! I try my best to connect with my readers.

**MindIIBody :** Thank you and I'll be sure to. Inspiration has been fleeting these months, with things fluctuating like crazy. Yes, Sesshomaru is such a manipulative and scheme little doggie isn't he? Isn't he! –teases lil puppy Sesshy, gets bitten- Oh, I'm pretty sure that he doesn't know what he father really means, gawd, men are dense aren't they? Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll really appreciate it if you could give me some great feedback on this chapter!

**MayumiCrimson :** Kinda, there are times when I get irritated with them myself. Thanks for the review!

**Icygirl2 :** It is good to be back, cha! And thanks for the review!

**Sammi :** Glad to be of service –bows- and thank you for the review!


	14. Chapitre 14

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre 14,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

The rain and thunder let up by four o'clock in the morning, and Rin sat on her bed still, the photo album hanging at the edge of her bedside, sheets pooled around her ankles as her arms wrapped her knees to her chest. The murky clouds lingered in the sky and the sun was no where to be seen. Moisture and water drops clung to the windows and slid down when one of them bumped into each other.

Her eyes were bloodshot, nose still a little red from the times she wiped it with tissues. The saltiness of her tears left treks down her cheeks. She felt cold, alone, and tired. But sleep would not come to her. Picking up her cellular phone she scrolled through the small list on her address book and came to the newest one added into it.

"_Sesshomaru T._" she read, glancing briefly at the number. Rin had received the number along with the company's number from the small business card she had taken from the receptionist's desk. Never had she thought of using it, especially for a situation as this. Her thumb hovered over the green call button, hesitating. Should she? Should she not? Closing her eyes, she felt her finger press the button, the screen blinking as it dialed the number.

She heard a click from the other end and drew in a breath.

* * *

Sesshomaru opened one of his eyes when his keen hearing picked up a small buzzing noise from his desk. He saw his mobile vibrating and blinking on the wooden surface. Picking it up, his eye focused on the mini-screen, training it on the caller id before flipping it open. "Hello, Rin."

He heard her release a shaky breath. "Um, good morning, Sesshomaru. Sorry for calling you up but I was wondering… if can you pick me up. I… need some fresh air."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." He answered, his mind gears turning. He could almost see her wry smile as she softly said, "Thank you."

Closing his opened eye, he hung up and slipped the carrier phone into his pant pocket as he stood up. Walking to the door, he grabbed the clean dress shirt lounging on the plush sofa and drew it over his shoulders. Obviously something had happened between Rin and the hanyou, causing some distress otherwise she would not be calling him at a supposedly 'ungodly' hour such as this.

No doubt, she's at a vulnerable point right now. Her emotions are mostly awry and her thoughts muddled. Her thoughts can be easily bent and her feelings easily swayed now. He didn't actually think that she would call him in the first place since she lived with a female wolf, who is probably closer to Rin than he is. This, was, however, even better. It meant that she trusted and felt more comfortable with him than Kouga's intended.

Sesshomaru smirked as he exited his mansion and got into his vehicle. Yes, now was the beginning. Soon, she'll fall right into his trap and finally, it'll be his.

* * *

Rin didn't bother with her hair as she threw on a thin jean jacket over a blue t-shirt and caprice. She quietly crept past Ayame's door, leaving a note on the kitchenette table as she put on her worn out sneakers and closed the door silently behind her.

She saw the familiar car of Sesshomaru pull up at the curb and went hurriedly to meet him, pocketing her keys into the back pocket of her caprice. She got into the passenger side, and gave him a tired smile. "Thank you Sesshomaru. I'm sorry to have asked you out at a time like this."

"It is fine." He replied, setting the car into drive. "Anywhere in mind, Rin?"

She hesitated. "No. Anywhere you find comfortable and silent is fine."

"Very well." The car lurched forward smoothly, setting off to the highway bridge and past the large market squares. Rin stared out her window as they passed by the industrial scenery, nothing like the ones in her home country. There were too many manufacturing warehouses, too much smoke in the air even at a time like this, and too much wasted land. Even the water seemed dark and unclear.

They continued down the highway road, soon Sesshomaru drove off an exit where it was more condensed with nature and parked his car on the side road usually reserved for break down cars. Rin turned to stare at him confused as he gestured for her to get out of the car as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Doing the same, Rin opened the passenger door and stepped out into the early morning road, finding it strangely empty and barely any noise could be heard.

Sesshomaru came around to her side and motioned for her to sit on to the hood of the car, though a still bit warm from the engine. They sat in quiet peace, no words exchanged. A few cars and trucks passed by them. Once, an elderly couple pulled over and asked if something was wrong with their car. Sesshomaru answered them politely and told them no.

The old lady grinned and tsked at them as if they had done something wrong, leaving with her husband after saying something about young couples and spending time on the wild side.

Rin nearly sputtered at the statement, the tip of her ears turning red. Sesshomaru just stared after them as she calmed down into her previous mood.

"You are troubled." He said it in neither a question nor statement.

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Rin gave him a confused look before shaking her head. "It isn't anything really. Just girl problems." She gave a short, false chuckle. "Stupid really."

Sesshomaru did not answered her, but merely raised his eyebrows in interest, urging her to continue.

"Well… it's my friend, from last night. He… sort of came here to bring me back home to Japan when I left without saying a word." She sighed, leaning back on her arms and stared up into the still cloudy and grey sky.

"It was my fault I guess. He wouldn't be so mad at me if I just told him the truth. And he came all the way here to get me." The brunette murmured with a hint of happiness in her tone but it disappeared just as quickly. "He has a fiancée back in Japan. I was really shocked, you know? When I found out about her. Friends don't keep secrets. That's what we told each other. But I think he slipped from my radar as soon as our college years ended. We were really tight ever since we were babies.

"He was always there for me when I was in trouble, when I was sad, or even when I was just plain scared. He was the only support I had while growing up. And I always figured that he won't disappear and leave me hanging, no matter what happened. But I was too hopeful and naïve. I thought too much of myself and didn't see what was really happening in his life. Maybe it could have happened differently if I did. If we stuck together even more as we became adults, then maybe all this wouldn't have occurred." Rin felt her eyes cloud from moisture, and struggled to blink them away.

"Things are often predetermined. It would have been useless to undo the inevitable." Sesshomaru said to her.

"Predetermined? As in some sort of prophetic event that's bound to occur?" Voice crackling, she looked puzzled at him. Her cheeks started to become red and tears formed even larger. That thought made her head spin, made her heart dropped and made her throat dry.

Did that mean she was bound to never belong to Inuyasha? That he was never meant to love her? And she him? How could that be?

"There are times when one lets go in order for the pain to disappear." Sesshomaru stared directly at her wet eyes.

"Let go?" Rin asked in a hoarse voice. "I've been trying for so many months already, Sesshomaru."

"Have you?" he inquired with an obvious tone.

Eyes growing wide at his question, Rin felt herself being blown away by it. What was he…?

"If you have, then no longer should your focus be on him." Sesshomaru told her. "Rather, it'll be someone else."

"But I…," she stared hopelessly at him. "It is wrong. You're my employer. It's impossible."

"Is it?" he let the question linger in the air. The silence stretched to seemingly impossible lengths as Rin thought on his rhetorical question and he checked his watch. Hopping off of the hood, Sesshomaru offered her his hand.

"Come, traffic will be filling the highway in a couple of minutes. It'll be best if we head back now."

Taking it dejectedly, Rin said, "Okay."

* * *

Groggily, Ayame sat up in her bed with an odd sensation of something missing in her house. It was about six now, so she should start getting ready for work at eight. But something was still bothering her, something foreign. Senses alert as she bolted up and clambered out of her bed, throwing aside her bed sheets and scrambled to her door but opened it cautiously, keeping her senses wide in her apartment.

There were no threatening forces in the air, so she dropped her guard but carefully mad her way around the rooms, starting with the kitchenette before moving into the living room and back down to the hallway to the bedrooms and bathroom. Everything seemed normal until she stumbled upon Rin's room.

The door was closed, but unlocked as she opened it and called, "Rin?"

Her scent was faint, as if she hadn't been there for almost a couple of hours. The windows were closed and her bed sheets were messy, signs that Rin had been in bed, though sleeping wasn't probably something she had done as Ayame picked up the scent of salt.

She frowned. Had Rin been crying?

Making her way deeper into her friend's room, she walked closer to the bed, noticing the notebook which she had seen Rin carry around and write in when they both were home during the evenings. Maybe she was trying to write and got frustrated? Then cried?

Shaking her head negatively, Ayame found that to be impossible. Rin is rarely frustrated with her writing, if she had anything to describe it, Ayame would probably say that Rin's the happiest when she writes down her imagination and inspiration. Her viridian eyes caught sight of something slumped on the ground.

A book with a hardback cover. Was it a copy of Rin's older books? Bending down, the wolf picked it up by its spine, the pages flapping against each other. She turned it to the front, or what she assumed to be the beginning, but only have her face meet blank, horizontal, plastic slots.

Photo album, she deducted. She hesitated at flipping through something so private but maybe it'll give her a better hint as to why Rin was crying.

Swearing to Kami about only doing good and not trying to pry, Ayame turned it to the front and opened the cover.

Her eyes grew wide at the pictures placed into the book. Page after page, she turned, were filled with Rin, her family, a hanyou, a beautiful woman and several scenes of landscape or what Ayame assumed to be abstract art and the 'perfect picture moment'.

As she turned to the next page, a picture slipped from within the plastic slides and floated to the ground, image face up. Balancing the photo book with one hand, Ayame bent down on one knee and grabbed a corner of the photo.

Her eyes scanned it slowly, noticing the familiar triangular ears and silver-white hair of the man who came uninvited to the apartment last night and rudely left with a mess for her to take care of. Rin was in it as well, smiling like she had all the gold in the world.

Green eyes softening, Ayame was about to put it back inside the book when her fingers rubbed against a foreign texture on the back. Puzzled, she flipped it to the backside and saw that her digits had brushed the small Japanese writing. Reading it, her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. _Well, seems like he's more than **just** a friend…_

The front door locks clicked and the door closed, ringing in the hallway corridor. Startled and cursing her lack of attention, Ayame quickly slipped the picture into short pocket and closed the book shut as footsteps paddled down her way. She stood up, pretending to have just picked up the album and turned just as Rin stepped into her room.

"Rin!" she said, putting down the book on the bed, and went forward to her friend. "Where have you been? I thought you were kidnapped when you weren't in your room!"

"Sorry, Ayame-chan. I had to go out for a while. To think…" the brunette said in an apologetic tone. The redhead smiled in understanding. "It's alright Rin-chan. You want something for breakfast? You can take a quick shower if you want while I make it." She suggested.

"No, I'll make it." Rin interjected quickly. "After all, I was the one who worried you. You go and take a shower. I won't mind really."

"If you're sure…" Ayame hesitated, her mind going back to the picture in her pocket. Will Rin miss it? Or will she put it aside and not notice?

"I'm a hundred percent sure. Now, go! Shoo!" Rin dusted her hand at Ayame. "And I'm _sure_ Kouga-kun's more interested in girls who bathe everyday."

"Haha! More like he's interested in _watching_ them do so!" The wolf answered to the tease, glad that Rin's mood had brightened.

* * *

Sighing, Ayame leaned heavily against the couch and picked up her bowl of freshly cooked spaghetti smothered in herbs and lumps of tomato-ish sauce. She propped her feet on an armrest and flicked on the television set, the theme song of _Will & Grace_ coming on.

"Ooh, new episode." She crooned lovingly as she bit into her dinner. Kouga was working late tonight, leaving her alone for the night. Rin had stepped out of the door for about half an hour already, no doubt for another date with that Sesshomaru.

She wrinkled her nose and took out the slip of paper from her pocket, staring really hard at it. Speaking of which, something seemed very … eerie about the resemblance between that man and Rin's friend… not that it really meant anything, seeing as how most dog demons looked alike. One could tell even if a person was an inu hanyou. The silvery hair and the golden eyes were their main traits. Their scents were similar to each other as well but with a slight distinct difference.

Swallowing the bite, the wolf was just about to shove in another forkful of Italian noodles when her keen nose smelt the scent of Rin's... friend from yesterday. Not to mention that boy has no sense of stealth, stomping as if he were throwing an inner tantrum or something all the way up the stairs!

Grumbling, she set aside her food and walked to the door, turning the handle.

"Where is Rin?" Inuyasha demanded as Ayame opened her door with a frown on her face.

"She's not here." Ayame said, a look of dislike evident in her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Keh, nothing that concerns you, bitch. It's between me and Rin." the half-breed scoffed.

"Doesn't concern me?! You know what I saw last night? What I heard?! She was crying her heart out! And disappeared in the morning, probably even before six! To where?! I don't know! But what I do know is that this happened because of you!" the she-wolf growled menacingly. She poked him in the chest as she punctuated each word. "She. Was. Crying. Because. Of. YOU!"

"Feh! What the hell do you know?" Inuyasha sneered, catching her wrist of the hand that hadn't stopped poking him. "You've known her for barely half a year and you think you know why she's crying?!"

"I know well enough where the blame goes when I see my friend, crying her eyes out while _looking_ through a photo album of her _past_, something that I believe that _you're_ quite a part of!"

"Bitch, don't speak of what you don't know!"

"You conceited idiot! I don't know what Rin sees in you!" Ayame shouted, slapping him in the face with a piece of paper in her hand.

"Fuck! What the hell was that for, wench?!" Inuyasha growled, pushing her hand away as the paper fell to the ground.

"Take a good long look at that. I dare you. And if you still don't understand, then help me god!" the wolf hissed, hands on her hips.

"Keh," the hanyou muttered, picking up the paper only to find it to be a photo. It was a picture of Rin and him. They were side by side, in their senior prom picture, his hands on her waist and his chin onto of her head. Her hands overlapped his. The teenage girl had the brightest smile on her face as she stared straight at the camera. Inuyasha glared at it. So it was a photo of their senior prom, so what? He had one back at home!

Ayame resisted the urge to slap the foolish dog again and gritted, "Turn. It. Around!"

Grumbling of bossy bitches, Inuyasha did as he was told, looking from top to bottom of the picture and found a small but neat hand writing at the left hand corner. It was smudged a little from the years but he made out most of the Japanese characters scrawled on the backside, a small heart decorating it at the end of the sentence to emphasize it strongly.

His amber eyes widened at the calligraphy written in pen, the hold on the photo tightened. Ayame harrumphed. "Good. Now get out of my house!" she shoved him backwards and slammed the door closed on his face.

The half-breed stood shell-shocked for a few moments when the portal opened again. "And one more thing, you asshole! If I see or hear Rin cry again, you're the first one on my list to be my newest carpet!"

The door slammed, leaving a sneering Inuyasha. "Feh, you first, bitch."

Looking down at the picture in his hand, he stared up at the ceiling and went down the steps to the front entrance. And waited.

* * *

They had been walking for nearly two hours now after a short meal at same sushi bar that they went to earlier in their meetings. It was a quiet dinner, surrounded by questions, thoughts and answers. They sat by a window seat, giving them an easy view of the active nightlife in the crowded streets, and Sesshomaru seemed to have stared out of it all night. But not out of boredom or amusement, Rin said to herself, it was more out of privacy for her thoughts.

He read her so easily, all the time. It is as if he knew in advance what she was thinking, whether she showed it on her face or told it to him directly. How does he do it? They haven't known each other for that long and yet… her feelings and thoughts around him are seemingly to be unguarded.

Was it her eyes? Her facial expressions?

Possibly… she was like an open book, being writer herself, she needed to understand all forms of human behavior, feelings and expressions.

But Sesshomaru, compared to her, he was just… a frozen man with barely any air of emotion. The only times he showed anything is when he was around her. Anywhere else, he was impenetrable. Why though? What was his need to be so cool and stoic around others?

And this morning… what he truly asking her if she wanted… it? Whatever this _it_ will turn out to be between them? Could she handle it now that Inuyasha's here as well?

Unexpectedly, while in deep thought, her hand brushed against his, which caused her to jump slightly. Sesshomaru gave no indication of discomfort as he turned to look down at her smaller form. Rin blushed, murmuring, "Sorry."

He nodded once. And they continued walking, though this time, Rin contemplated of her hand and the feeling she received when it brushed against the inuyoukai's larger one. Gnawing her lower lip, she unclenched it slowly at her side, flexing it a little. Slowly, she reached out, stepping a little closer to her date's side, and lightly touched Sesshomaru's right hand with her finger tips.

That didn't stop them from walking, but their pace dawdled into an even leisured stroll. Rin felt her cheeks heat up as she urged herself to trace her fingers to his knuckles and shyly slip the tips of her hand to his palm. Sesshomaru didn't seem to mind the face that she was exploring and experimenting, so she kept her fingers there, unmoving as they continued down the night sidewalk, waiting for his reaction.

The last time she held hands with a date was most likely back in high school. She had remained single right after she graduated, more focused on her studies than anything else around her. Sure she had attracted a few interests, but declined them all except she told them that she wouldn't mind being their friend instead. And the times she was with Inuyasha, they walked casually next to each other. Physical contact was usually around the shoulders as they paraded around a place or hand-to-hand so that she could drag him into a certain mall shop.

This feeling she felt tingling from her fingers to her body spread a certain warmth through her system. It aroused her curiosity and though she usually ignored these feelings, allowed herself to indulge it in.

As they waited near the street crosswalk, now only three blocks away from her home, Rin's heart rammed against her ribcage and butterflies fluttered madly in her stomach. She felt her hand encased in a large warmth and the callous skin molding against her smooth skin.

A smile bloomed on her face, her blush dusting her face. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Sesshomaru with a slight turn of her head, her brown-honey eyes shining in the night. They walked on without a word, hand in hand, as they just enjoyed each other's presence. Across the street, a man was playing a soothing melody on his violin, echoing lovingly into the dark.

They came close to her house, and Rin's shoulder's dropped the tiniest in the disappointment of the evening's end. As if sensing her disappointment, Sesshomaru came to a stop, abruptly jerking Rin to his side as she walked on without knowing he had stopped. They were facing each other now, though Rin's face only saw the beginning of his tie, which she noticed has a diamond pattern with silver lining on the dark blue fabric. Their hands were still connected, so Sesshomaru raised his free hand, hooking it underneath her chin and tilted it so that she was gazing straight into his amber eyes.

Rin felt her throat dry, her heart beating faster than ever as her eyes roved over Sesshomaru's handsome features. Their faces drew closer; Sesshomaru's dipping to meet hers and Rin pushing on her toes to inch closer to his. When their mouths were a hair's breathe away, the brunette looked searchingly in his eyes before her eyes slipped closed. Sesshomaru covered the gap between them, pressing his mouth slant against hers hotly. His tongue slid over her closed lips, coaxing her to submit to him.

Moaning, the writer's knees felt weak and she parted her mouth, the chance which Sesshomaru took to slip his tongue into her cavern, tracing the tips of her human canines before battling sensually with hers. Unable to support herself any longer, Rin's right hand crawled up his shoulder and behind his neck, burying her small fingers into his silky hair. Rin's tongue timidly pressed forward, feeling the tips of Sesshomaru's sharper teeth before continuing their tongue's dance.

When her breath came short, Sesshomaru broke away from her lips and watched as she tried to regain her much needed oxygen. He took in the radiance of her bright eyes and the darken blush on her cheeks. He noticed that her lips were red and bruised from the force of his kiss and smirked. He waited a few moments longer before asking, "Rin… your answer?"

Sighing in content, Rin stared at him as a small smile appeared on her love-bruised lips. "Sesshomaru… I-"

Suddenly, Sesshomaru wrapped his arms her and jumped into the air. Holding in a squeak, Rin heard a distinct crash of steel colliding into the cement ground and something cracking, which echoed loudly into the dark alley way. She felt her feet lightly touch some surface, finding herself looking out into the night-lighted view of New York. The sky seemed so much closer to her now, and the wind whipped at her hair though she didn't really feel the coldness. Then she realized that Sesshomaru had landed onto the edge of the flat roof of an apartment building, possibly avoiding something from below in the alley. Peering down with her luminous eyes, she spotted a gleam of silver under the flickering light of the lamppost stationed outside of the alley in the sidewalk.

The darkened figure had one of its limbs dug into the side of the opposite building's wall. It looked up with anger-glowing gold eyes as it retracted its limb. It leapt into the air and seemingly glided up to her direction quickly. She felt herself being pulled backwards, falling back into Sesshomaru as he fazed them onto a more stable surface of the rooftop, when the dark figure hovered in the air for a few moments and dropped less than three meters away from her.

She uttered, "I-Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Rin stared at her best friend with wide, round eyes, arms still hanging onto Sesshomaru's forearms. Sesshomaru pressed her even closer to his body; his arms encircled around her waist and didn't seem to be releasing her anytime soon. His molten eyes smirked triumphantly at the hanyou.

"I should be asking you that question, _Rin_." he held up claw tipped fingers, two hands clipped tightly to a thin piece of paper. Inuyasha growled menacingly at Sesshomaru. Rin couldn't make it out or even guess of what it was until he turned it so that the front side of the slip faced her.

She gasped, one hand covering her slightly swollen mouth. It was her copy of their prom photo. But… how had Inuyasha gotten a hold of it?! And… if he had it… then that meant…

"Suki Inuyasha ka?" he sneered, flaring with jealousy.

* * *

**AN:** I'M ALIVE! I didn't die from my latest report card, yay! If I did, I wouldn't have posted this. Ehehe. Anyway, things are starting to heat up really fast and it'll probably be over once I finished the next three or four chapters. I probably butchered Sesshomaru really badly, but hah, AU peeps! And Rin is totally… okay, because we don't understand how she's going to be when she grows up anyway. (You won't believe how hard it was for me to just write a possible kissing scene between the two! Oh gods –is embarrassed-! And four paragraphs too! Waiii!) Then the decrescendo of it all, so about six to eight more chapters to go. I really want to end this with an even number of chapters.

"_Suki Inuyasha ka?"_- "I love Inuyasha huh?"

Anyway, thank you to my lovely readers and reviewers for your support! I love you all so much!

**Gryphaena:** Thank you. And I'm still undecided for the pairing as well, but when the time comes, I'll probably be solid on it. I'm glad that you like the flashbacks. I try to make them as realistic and related to the story line as much as possible.

**Rebecca:** surprises are good at times yes, but I really need some solid direction to write on and I can't just write randomly. It'll be too cliché or it'll drive me nuts. And thank you, I'm glad that you like it. And I'm not _that_ young, theoretically speaking. There was no rush, I love getting reviews from you all, so do as you please!

**InuObsessed o.o:** Wow, ehehe. I wonder as well. Seeing as she isn't part of this chapter.

**Iwufdogs:** thank you so much for your support! And no, that' perfectly alright to have a different opinion. I haven't really decided myself who Rin will end up to be with yet either. But hopefully I will know before I write the ending to this!

**Icygirl2:** lol, I sorry. But I had Chinese New Years to make it up I guess! And yes, the anime wasn't that great but it wasn't that bad either. It should've continued but I think people would've gotten tired of it by the time they reached the chapter the manga's currently at.

**Fluffycrush:** thank you, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment!


	15. Chapitre 15

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre 15, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

"Suki Inuyasha ka?" Inuyasha snarled. He started to advance upon the couple. 

Rin felt a guilt wash upon her conscious. "I-Inuyasha… Please, not here," she pleaded.

"Yes, definitely not here," the hanyou growled, nearly close enough to his childhood friend to breathe down her neck. "You're coming back to Japan. I can't believe that you've changed, and all because of this bastard."

"Inuyasha, we've gone through this already! I'm not going back!" She argued, eyes filling with sadness suddenly. She gently removed herself from Sesshomaru's grasp, stepping away from the arms of safety. "And don't talk about things that you don't understand."

"Fuck this," Inuyasha swore and quickly grabbed onto her right wrist, jerking her toward him. Rin stumbled on her heels, giving a yelp. Just as he was about to catch her from falling, there was an acidic smell and a hiss of a whip.

The half demon lept into the air out of reflexes, and Rin had disappeared from his arms. Looking down, he saw Sesshomaru retract his poison whip from his right hand and the female was unharmed and cradled in his left arm. "Sesshomaru…" she whispered, amazed.

"Do not fear, Rin." he murmured to her.

"Dammit Rin, you can't trust this asshole! You just can't! He has no good intentions toward you." Inuyasha barked as he landed, pointing a menacing finger at the silently seething full-fledge demon. "Can't you see that he's trying to use you?!"

"And how would you know that Inuyasha?! You don't even know the littlest thing about Sesshomaru!" Rin defended. "Don't start pointing fingers when you haven't got the slightest clue!"

The hanyou merely replied with incredibility. "Are you blind?! Can you not tell in plain sight or make connections through our last names?!"

Connections? Last names? Rin gave him a confused look and turned to look at the tall standing man behind her. Sure, they looked alike, but that's only because they both were of the same race wasn't it? Silver manes and golden eyes were common among dog demons weren't they? And speaking of last names, she has never known of Seshsomaru's full identity. All the time, she has only been addressing him as "Mr. Sesshomaru" or "Sesshomaru" alone, but never by his surname.

Uncertainty filled her. As if afraid to ask, she gave Sesshomaru a worried glance, hoping for some reassurance, but it never came. Inuyasha sneered, "Hah, fucking ass never told you, did he Rin? That's exactly how I thought it was. There was no way she would willingly be with you if she had known your last name…."

Inuyasha glared straight at Sesshomaru. "_Aniki._"

Rin blanched. What?! Spinning around, she stared at Sesshomaru with astonished eyes.

"You… you're Sesshomaru Takahashi?!"

Sesshomaru growled. "I have no hanyou as family! Do not mingle me with your filthy blood and relations, mutt."

Her mind spun. He didn't deny it, but he didn't accept it either. Nevertheless, the former assumption pulled through her conscience and prodded at her. If he didn't deny it, then Inuyasha was not lying.

She had briefly heard of Inuyasha having an older sibling from Izaoyi-san when she was younger. It was by chance when she learned of it. She had been nosy and found some pictures of a youth with identical features to her best friend and has asked about him from Inuyasha's mother. She told her his name was Sesshomaru. However, that he had died shortly after Inuyasha's father had.

But now… the same Sesshomaru was standing in front of her.

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him. He stared at her, as if searching for the correct words to say. She stared back as her mind tried to sort out the mess and muddle that clotted it. Just what had happened? How did her life even jump into such a tremulous roller coaster?

"Rin," the hanyou started, still grappling for the right things to tell her, to convince her. "Please… believe me."

From behind her, Sesshomaru snorted and his eyes narrowed. "Your actions have turned into a weak man, hanyou."

Rin stiffened at Sesshomaru's words. Was he truly so callous? So brusque?

Inuyasha barked at him, "Shut up asshole. I'm probably twice the man you are. I have my honor and pride. Do you?!"

"A lowly demon such as your self is incompetent of having any true honor and pride," Sesshomaru hissed. "You worthless half-breed. Do not make such bold statements of what you do not understand."

"Don't you fucking mess with her, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha's eyes roared with deep resentment. The lashes turned darker, eyes turning into a rosy red shade. "She's not some doll for you to screw around like you did with that bitch before!"

Feeling the escalation of ire, the skin on her body formed goosebumps. The young woman struggled away from Inuyasha's hands, stumbling backward when she felt his long tipped nails lengthen. However, she only ended up walking into Sesshomaru instead, who steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. Familiar elongated claws were pressed against her shoulder bone.

Tilting her head, Rin saw that Sesshomaru's once golden amber eyes had bled red, the pupils turned into a grotesque green with purple highlighting the lid of his eyes. His canine teeth grew, brushing his lower lip. Gasping in shock, she froze at the sight of the inu youkai's transformation. He was nothing like Inuyasha, yet everything like him at the same time.

Reverting her eyes to the hanyou, she saw that he too was unleashing his inner demon. Instincts from her childhood kicked in as Rin propelled herself forward, hoping to make it in time to stop the dangerous transformation of Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, stop this!" she cried.

He only growled at her before returning his gaze to his bitter half-sibling. "Stay out of this Rin."

"No, you can't transform! You'll… you'll hurt someone!" she panicked, reaching out to somehow magically restrain the transformation. He only grabbed onto the wrist of the arm she reached out with. She didn't shirk away from his touch, only winced slightly when his tipped nails dug into her flesh.

As if sensing her hurt, Sesshomaru came up from behind her and landed his own hand on her shoulder, almost ready to jerk her away from Inuyasha. "Unhand her at once, hanyou." Sesshomaru sneered.

"Like hell I will. She's coming back with me! I will not let you hurt her!" Inuyasha snarled. "She's not yours to mess with!"

"And yet I haven't seen you lay claim to her either, foolish half-breed."

Realization dawned upon the author, despite her bemused state.

Rin turned away. She shook off Inuyasha's grip on her right wrist and shrugged away from Sesshomaru's hand on her left shoulder. A sudden weight was placed on her shoulder, dragging her already heavy heart further down. She was not going to be the prize of two damn, pissed off and childish dog demons! Didn't they notice how all of this was driving her crazy?

"Rin…" Inuyasha trailed off. Sesshomaru gazed at her back profile silently.

Tears pricked at the corners of her doe eyes. "Please, just… Just leave me alone. I," her voice broke. "I need some time. All of this, it's just too much."

Inuyasha's expression saddened. "Rin…"

The woman held her tears in, head dipped to her chest. She walked over to the roof stairwell, pulling open the metal door and closing it behind her.

It shut with a metallic bang, echoing loudly in the two brothers' ears.

* * *

Kagome stared out the window as she continued to wash the dinner dishes absentmindedly. Even if she promised herself that she was going to find her fianceé and take him back from Rin, where on earth was she supposed to find him? Last she had known, he was headed for the United States. But which state exactly? There were so many of them. And how was she to even find him in a city? 

Sighing, she placed a clean dish on the drying rack next to her on the counter. It was just impossible to achieve this feat. She wasn't a demon, whose senses would have been extremely helpful in the situation she was presently in. She wouldn't mind having a keen nose or an eagle eye sight. They do come in handy every now and then.

Staring into space as she paused in her chore, the young woman frowned. She would need to get a plane ticket, and during this season, flights were most likely overbooked. So even if she did decide to go there, how was she going to explain this to her mother?

"_Okaa-san, I have something to tell you. Inuyasha decided to ditch me for his childhood friend all the way in America. Now I'm heartbroken but I want a confession out of the two of them. By the way, I need a lot of cash to buy the ticket there."_ Kagome shook her head at her mind's narrative. There was no way she was going to ask that of her mother. It would be selfish of her. What else could she do though? Wait till he came back and apologizes to her? Wait till he came back with Rin in tow, both happily in a relationship without even notifying her first or at least give her a decent breakup reason?

No, she wasn't going to wait any longer. She just couldn't do that. Time was of the essence, and she didn't have much left. She was determined to keep Inuyasha; she would even fight with his childhood friend for him!

Caught up with her thoughts, Kagome jumped ten feet in the air when something furry ghosted around her bare legs. She nearly dropped a cup she was holding onto under the non-bubbly water in the sink. Looking down, she sighed and shook her head from the silliness of her fright. It was only Buyo, that fat cat. He purred, rubbing against her leg now.

Just as she deposited the cup into the rack with the other semi-wet dishware and glassware, the phone rang loudly. She heard Souta answer the call from the living room.

"Kagome-nee-san! Phone!" her younger brother called.

"Got it!" she yelled back, taking the phone from the cradle on the wall. "Moshi moshi?"

"Kagome-san?" an older and pleasant voice inquired from the other end of the line. "It is Izaoyi, Inuyasha's mother."

"Ah, how are you doing, Izaoyi-san?" Kagome asked politely, drying her hands off and walked over to the table.

"Do you have some time at the moment? There are some things I wish to talk to you about," said Izaoyi. "At my house."

"Um, of course. What time is convenient?"

"The sooner the better, Kagome-san."

"Okay. I'll be there in about half an hour, Izaoyi-san. Is that okay?" Kagome glanced at the clock. Yes, she could make it there within the half hour. Traffic was light during this time of day.

"It is fine. I'll be waiting. Good bye Kagome-san."

Head cocked to the side, the young woman returned the phone to the cradle. Why would Inuyasha's mother want to talk to her?

* * *

Diffidently, Kagome walked up to the front step and rang the door bell. The question still nagged her. It was rare for Inuyasha's mother to call her up and ask for her presence, especially when she wasn't with Inuyasha. 

Having to wait less than a minute, the front door opened, revealing the youthful human woman who gave her a placid smile and sidestepped. "Please, come in Kagome-san."

"Arigatou Izaoyi-san," Kagome said, bowing her head in thanks and hastily slipped out of her shoes and into the provided slippers in the hallway.

Closing the door behind her, Izaoyi smiled. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Ah, no thank you. I'm fine thank you Izaoyi-san." The young girl hurriedly said, following her host.

"Why don't you come into the living room? Please, make yourself comfortable. I believe that we're going to be having quite a discussion." The older woman gestured to the living space to their left, with the television on. A salesman was introducing the latest cell phone plan.

Situating herself in a nearby recliner, Kagome tried to not fidget in the amiable yet thick silence after the mother decided to turn off the television and ridding them both of any possible distraction.

Izaoyi took a seat across from Kagome, in a soft leather sofa. She did not bother rearranging the disarray cushions but folded her hands in her lap, and gave a heavy sigh. "Kagome-san, I'm certain that you're aware of Inuyasha's whereabouts, are you not?"

A crestfallen look washed upon Kagome's expression. "Yes. He's looking for his childhood friend, Rin."

"Yes, he is. In America in fact. But, do you understand why he's doing this?"

"I… I can't say for sure, but…" the younger female hesitated in answering.

"But…?"

"Inuyasha's always been so good to me. He's always loved me like none other. But after Rin left… he completely changed. It's like he no longer loves me." Kagome admitted her deepest fear. "He became nearly… obsessed with Rin. But I don't know why. They're only friends, aren't they? Why would he suddenly become like this?"

"I wonder myself sometimes, Kagome-san." Izaoyi murmured, "And I suppose it is partially my fault. I have nearly raised Rin as my own. I watched them grow up together, so it wasn't hard to understand how they felt toward each other. They were closer than any twin siblings I have seen. With Inuyasha being born a hanyou, you must realize how hard it was for him to have friends. However, Rin was immediately attached to him and he therefore grew protective of her. It was a rare sight to behold when they matured.

"It wasn't long until I realized that something will grow out of their tightly knitted friendship. When the time came, I saw that Rin has somehow wormed herself so deeply into Inuyasha's heart that he was slowly grooming her to be his mate, although he did not realize it himself. He remained even more oblivious when Rin fell completely in love with him. But of course, Rin was selfless and did not try to impose herself on him and kept quiet ever since. I thought that in time, Inuyasha would realize Rin's affections. But it didn't seem to happen. Instead, he met you." Izaoyi gave her a quaint smile, which Kagome had not been expecting when the words _'instead he met you'_. In fact, from the things the older woman had been narrating to her, she thought that that line would come out in spite or malice. Although from what Izaoyi just told her, Kagome couldn't help but shrink in sadness. No wonder Rin left the country so unexpectedly, and Inuyasha…

Something fearful grew in her heart at the thought of Inuyasha chasing after Rin for another entirely different reason than the one she previously thought of.

"You became the one he decided to love and slowly, cast aside Rin. Rin, without a doubt became betrayed by Inuyasha after years of friendship. It might be easy, or it might not be so, for Rin to abruptly break away, but Inuyasha cannot fathom the idea without Rin in his life. He was too dependent of her, something that I thought he had shed when he started dating you. Sadly, I was mistaken. He hasn't the ability to tear himself away from Rin's nurture and friendship. And just before he left, I tipped him off and made him realize of Rin's feelings. It was unfair of me to do so. But I had thought once more that he would realize who he truly loved. And now, the result is hurting you Kagome-san. I deeply apologize for the trouble that I have caused between you and Inuyasha. It was not my place to interfere."

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not your fault, Izaoyi-san. You were only trying to do what a mother does best."

They plunged into an unbearable silence. Izaoyi decided to break the ice. "What do you wish to do, now that Inuyasha is in America searching for Rin, Kagome-san?"

Sighing, Kagome cast her eyes downward. "I… planned to go after them. I wanted a real reason from Inuyasha, some type of compensation of him leaving me all of a sudden. And I wanted to… tell Rin…" she didn't have the courage to continue the sentence, fearing that she might anger Inuyasha's mother if she did.

"I see…" a small smile crept up on the other woman's lips. She got up and excused herself as Kagome nodded in befuddlement.

Izaoyi disappeared into the hallway, leaving an anxious Kagome in the living room. Why did the older woman suddenly ask all those question and told her all of that? Did Izaoyi not approve of her loving her son? Did she think that Inuyasha only loved Rin and try to spare her the heartache?

Well, that certainly worked if that was her aim. Kagome shook her head in sadness.

Kagome looked up when she heard Izaoyi return to the living room. She held a packet in her hands, which Kagome immediately recognized as a travel packet. Was the woman trying to send her off in hopes to cheer her up?!

However, when Izaoyi gave her the gentle and understanding look, all of Kagome's negative thoughts washed away. Holding out the packet to her, Izaoyi smiled. "I've purchased these tickets the same time I did for Inuyasha. They're for New York. I thought that you might need these soon after he left."

Dumbfounded, Kagome stared at the papers in front of her. "Izaoyi-san…"

"Although, I cannot be entirely sure of where in New York Inuyasha is. But I'm certain that if you look up some editing companies, you'll be able to find him," the mother hinted.

"I…," the young woman was speechless. "I can't accept this…"

"Didn't you just tell me that you truly wished to confront Inuyasha and Rin? Why are you still hesitating?"

Biting her lower lip, Kagome shook her head dejectedly. "I don't know."

"You have a week to decide, Kagome-san. One week to decide if you really want to seek out my son and Rin and confront them as you have just told me. Hopefully, you'll make the correct decision and not regret it afterward."

Mutely, the girl accepted the plane ticket. "Thank you so much, Izaoyi-san."

"You're welcome. And good luck Kagome-san."

* * *

Ayame continued to flip through the television channels listlessly. Nothing good was ever aired at this time of night, especially with the reruns of soap operas and that fraud of a hypnotist. Her keen ears picked up a click from the lock at the door. Straightening herself up on the sofa, she was about to happily greet her friend back from her date until she saw the look on the other woman's face. 

Rin unlocked the door and closed it quietly behind her. She looked up when she noticed that Ayame was staring at her with an inquisitive but worried expression. She gave the red head a watery smile. "Hey Ayame. What are you doing still up?"

"I was waiting up, you know, for the juicy details of your date," Ayame told her sheepishly. "But I guess I have something more important to take care of right now. Come here," she patted to the space beside her on the sofa. "Sit."

Rin went over almost robotically and sat next to the wolf demoness. The viridian eyes traced the dry tear stains on Rin's cheeks. Her nose caught the scents of dog demons. One was very familiar, very recently she's smelt it. It was that hanyou's. The other one was overpowering, no doubt Seshsomaru's. It smelt as if it were a possessive scent, causing the wolf to quirk a brow inwardly. Just what had transpired?

Enveloping a petite human hand into her clawed ones, she asked, "What happened, Rin? What's wrong?"

Millions of thoughts few past Rin's face and she started tearing up again. She leaned right into Ayame's opened arms, sobbing dryly. "I'm so confused right now. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Calm down Rin-chan," the red head hushed. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

Breathing deeply, Rin started her narration, "Well, you know how I suddenly came to America? I was originally trying to run away, I suppose. From Inuyasha. It was really silly, but I just couldn't get over the fact that he's kept the secret of having a girlfriend, or well, a fianceeée now. We've been best friends since I can ever remember and there were no secrets. Never once. And I guess I didn't pick up on why he's suddenly always busy. I assumed it was his work, but I never would've thought it would have been another girl. It really hurt me, you know? To have been kept in the dark… especially when…"

She paused, brown eyes downcast. Ayame gently prompted her, "When what Rin?"

"When I loved him so much," she finished. "I'm not sure if he knew or not, but I know I've talked to him about it once. When we were in high school. I thought he would've made some sort of connection, or at least have some suspicions about my feelings for him. I didn't think that he'll brush it off so easily or even not consider the possibility."

The ookami youkai's green eyes softened in sympathy. The writer chuckled mirthlessly. "A lot of my old friends used to tell me how I wore my heart on my sleeve when I was around him, yet he remained so oblivious. Too much hope on my part I guess, or men are truly insensitive and blind to what is in front of them."

"So I came here. One is to escape Inuyasha so that I can try and forget him. Secondly, I wanted a new publisher, and found Sesshomaru's company. And now, things seemed to have taken a huge plot twist. Just when I thought I forgot about Inuyasha, he suddenly jumped right back into my mind and world. I didn't expect him to come after me. And then there's Sesshomaru, who asked me to date him, and I accepted it in hopes to finally removing my love for Inuyasha. All of a sudden, Inuyasha comes back into the picture, acting like a jealous fiend. Now… everything is just so confusing. I feel like I'm trapped between two bodies of water, both too deep for me to swim through. It was crazy enough with Inuyasha coming to bring me back to Japan, but with this as well… At first, I thought it was a joke, but now, it doesn't seem very funny anymore."

Ayame was perplexed. "Joke?"

Rin shook her head with a sigh. "They're brothers, Ayame-chan. Brothers, or half-brothers at least."

A flabbergasted look came from her friend. "What?! No wonder their scents were so similar!"

Groaning, Rin buried her face in her hands. "What am I going to do? I don't want to be some prize in a sibling rivalry."

"I understand, Rin-chan. But let's get one thing straight. What do you feel?"

"Feel?"

"For both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. You have two dog demons, who are really, really, really hot and quite the eye candy, and who are possibly aiming for you as their lover. You said that you 'loved' Inuyasha, now you're dating Sesshomaru. That means you're either interested in both of them or you're just trying to use one of them as a rebound, which is not good, but let's not talk about that right now," said Ayame. Staring dead set into Rin's eyes, she then asked, "So let's sort this out. Who do you love more?"

"I… I…" Insecurity filled up Rin's insides. Who did she love more? She couldn't say completely that she was over Inuyasha. Instead, it was the exact opposite. For some abstruse reason, she was inwardly elated that he came all the way to bring her back. Not to mention that he acted as any jealous lover would a few moments ago. Then she still hasn't gotten over the fact that he had betrayed her trust and remained oblivious to her affinity for him after so many years of being together.

And Sesshomaru… he was her new beginning, wasn't he? He promised her that he was truly sincere when he asked her out. Or was he? Was he really deceiving her as Inuyasha had said? Did he intend to use her for something she would never anticipate from him? And when he kissed her… she felt as if she were whole from the warm and passion that he filled her with through that single moment of intimacy. He held no reservations from her about his feelings thus far, which made her heart, flutter.

Despite how they felt about her, she couldn't tell whether if she was only the prize of a sibling match or if they truthfully loved her. Her mind and heart couldn't tell the difference and make out the real one right now. Both have just went through the most mind-turning ordeal, leaving her only with more difficulties and absurdities to sort through.

Tears started to form again in her eyes. Why was this happening to her? She only wanted to escape it all and live independently.

Ayame frowned, pulling her friend into a close embrace. Just then, an idea occurred to her. Holding Rin by the shoulders, she blurted, "Why don't you come to Maine with us? We're going this weekend and I'm sure that Kouga won't mind if you come with!"

Rin looked uncertain at the suggestion, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "But you're going with Kouga-kun. I don't want to interrupt your two-person paradise."

"It's perfectly fine," the red head reassured. "And Kouga's not the biggest fan of skiing. So you can join me!"

"Are you sure?" the writer was hesitant. It would be a great way to distract herself and to take her away from all this trouble. But it would be rude to be the third wheel.

The wolf nodded. "Definitely. You need a little get away time from all your boy troubles."

"Okay," Rin said reluctantly. "Thanks Ayame."

* * *

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha remained on the roof, the echo of Rin's cold departure still ringing in their sensitive ears. Their eyes were connected in a heated gaze. Inuyasha's defiant and rowdy orbs flashed in anger and frustration as Sesshomaru's were calm and indifferent. 

"Teme," the hanyou glowered. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. "Leave her the hell alone. I don't care what the hell you're up to, but if you hurt Rin, you won't see the lights of the next day."

"Do not make such casual threats when you cannot defend the grounds you stand on," the inuyoukai said coolly.

"I can beat you Sesshomaru," the younger sibling argued. "Just wait. You'll wish you didn't lay a single hand on Rin when I'm through with you!"

Sesshomaru stared down at Inuyasha, eyes narrowed. "You'll regret those words, hanyou."

Youki crackled and hummed as they commenced in another glaring war, unspoken words flying through their analogous eyes.

The quick arrival of tomorrow fell upon the brothers as the sun peeked out from its blanket of darkness. The cool rays of watery gold glared softly on their appearances, giving them both a fiery glow. Their identical silver mane wafted softly with the sudden breeze that rushed at them, the bangs brushing over their homogeneous liquid amber eyes.

They stood there for a while longer, staring at each other. Their auras of yellow and blue clashed, the atmosphere crackling dangerously with malicious intent.

From another building's roof, a large flock of ash-grey and coal-black pigeons took flight, catching a pleasant turbulence underneath their feathery wings. Among them, there was a white speckled female, eyes of a soft brown. It flew from the triangular formation that the rest had created, soaring to the right, toward the sun.

Suddenly, two other pigeons, both of glossy grey and teal, as if noticing the female's departure, left the group as well and soared after the opposite sex. They matched each other, although one was slightly ahead of the other, the latter persisted. The other pigeons paid them no mind and continued their trip toward the heart of the city, where life was starting to pick up again.

The three solitary birds circled from the sunlight, spiraling to the roof where the momentous confrontation occurred less than four hours ago.

As they landed, there were no traces left of the inuyoukai siblings.

* * *

**AN: **Haha, I thought that this was more important than my busy junior life. Maybe it was because my muse actually woke up and removed the writer's block. I'm really hoping to finish this story before I graduate high school, which is now less than two years away. Time does fly, huh? Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter because this chapter was a complete bitch to write. And Sesshomaru's character finally comes to light, haha. Oh, no betaing. I might do all that once I scrape everything off of my plate. Go back and do heavy edits, you know? More to come when I have the time, so ja! 

Many thanks to the supporters and readers of mine: **Fluffycrush, MindIIBody, DaughterofBastet, Sessho's Girl, JENN2418, evilchibimutantvampirebunny, **and **Gryphaena**!!! You guys rock. And readers who still keep up, I love you too!


	16. Chapitre 16

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre Seize,

By Winterwing3000

"These are my latest chapters. I hope that they're satisfactory," Rin said as she handed over the thick folder to the secretary. The older woman smiled. "I'm sure they're fine. Are you sure you don't want to personally hand this in to Mr. Sesshomaru? He's free currently and is in his office."

"No, I'm in a rush. Tell him thank you and have a good d--." The door leading into Sesshomaru's office opened.

"Ah, Mr. Sesshomaru! Ms. Seijun just delivered her latest," his secretary informed him.

"Thank you. Ms. Seijun, a word if you have time to spare? It regards the previous chapters," Sesshomaru told her curtly.

Rin froze like a deer in headlights. "I… I have arrangements."

"It won't take too much of your time." He held open his door. "If you please."

Biting her inner cheek, she nodded and stepped into the space of his office. Sesshomaru closed to door behind him and walked over to his desk. Rin remained standing despite the two comfy chairs in front of her.

He took out a packet from the drawers of his desk. Placing it on the surface, he pushed it in her direction. "There are few minor errors but nothing of much concern. Your work is excellent, as always."

"I see." Rin stared at the yellow folder. She didn't move to take it. Nevertheless, they plunged into a silence.

"Do you regret it?" He suddenly asked her, facing the windows where the New York metropolis fanned out below. His body betrayed no emotion, similar to his voice that was cold and monotonous.

"Regret?" Rin mumbled, lifting her head to face the back of his person. Did she regret accepting his proposal to date him? Did she enjoy his presence when they were together, even for that one night? No, but yet, yes. Why though?

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, unable to come up with a better answer. She was too tired, too confused. Everything was randomly thrown into her face, trapping her between a rock and almost hell itself.

Suddenly, she felt him before her. His entire being towered over her, casting his dark shadow upon her. "Tell me," Sesshomaru said lowly, a hand reaching to cup her face.

Rin flinched and turned her head. "I don't know Sesshomaru. I'm sorry, but, I have to leave."

She back away, pivoting on her heel and reached for the door when she was suddenly jerked backwards by the wrist and flung against the wall. A gasp escaped her lips and her brown eyes were wide with fear until she felt his lips crash down on hers, stealing her breath. His hands snaked to cup the back of her head and curled at her hip as he pressed his body against hers, pushing her to the wall.

Rin whimpered as his mouth worked savagely on hers, bruising them with pressure. Her hands pressed against his chest, weakly pushing him away from her. She felt his hand on her waist move, slipping under the hem of her shirt and strong fingers ghosted across her heated skin, almost as if a cold balm on a burning wound. She stiffened when she felt his tipped fingers lightly trace her side, causing her to gasp at the chilling sensation.

Sesshomaru quickly took advantage of the presented moment and slipped his tongue in the cavern of her mouth. He tilted her head upwards, having a better access as he coaxed her into returning his kiss. His fangs gently nipped at her lips, which prompted her tongue to snake out to soothe the sting and engaged their tongues into a duel. Soon, he broke away, leaving her panting, as he pressed hot kisses along her slender neck.

His other hand dared to creep further up her shirt, brushing the underside of her bra. She squirmed but moaned when his thumb brushed over her sensitive bud. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his hips, arms across his shoulders. The hand behind her head went down to support her weight, pushing her even closer to him. Their heated cores met through their clothing.

Immediately, Rin snapped out of the lusty haze that Sesshomaru induced her into. Her hands went back to holding him back by his shoulders. "N-No, stop!"

Sesshomaru ignored her plea and continued to lavish her neck with wet kisses. His hand under her shirt was however, stopped short when she gripped it and tried to remove it from her body. "Stop it, Sesshomaru!" she pleaded, struggling to break away from him. Her legs unlocked from his hips and touched the floor. With a great heave, she managed to push him a distance away from her, but still too close for comfort.

She looked at him, his eyes hidden but his fangs were slightly elongated and markings lightly jaded. He turned away from her, body stiff. Rin collected her wits, and bowed. "I… I'm sorry. I'll be leaving now."

When he made no response, she went over to the door and gripped the knob. Without knowing why she added, "I will be out of New York for a while. Please, don't come looking for me."

Sesshomaru's back straightened. "Hn."

As she left, a sense of disappointment washed over her but she pushed it aside.

Inside his office, Sesshomaru growled, and slammed his desk. Why had he lost control? What was that dark feeling that overpowered him when she refused to answer him properly? What was she doing to him?!

Growling, he fisted his hair. "What are you planning, Chichi-ue?"

* * *

Her mind churned with a million of thoughts and feelings. What on earth was that? What had happened up there? If she hadn't stopped him, she was sure that it would have continued and ended in something that she would forever regret. But, Rin thought as she touched her bruised lips, the sensations that coursed through her veins made her alive and warm. It was thrilling, comforting, and all together frightening.

Sesshomaru couldn't have possibly wanted her. Not like that. They only went out just recently, and barely anything was established between them aside from employer and employee. Yet he was so intent on her answering his question. Her brows scrunched as she turned slightly pink. The passions he expressed were too real. They didn't seem to be faked unless he's one hell of a pretender.

Shaking her head, she crossed the street as the green crossing signal blinked. She shouldn't worry over such things. In no time, she'll be up in Maine with Ayame and Kouga where she'll forget of all this insanity revolving around her and relax. She'll figure out all of these things when she returned.

Nodding to herself, she took a turn toward the apartment and froze in mid-step when she saw a familiar figure sitting at the stone steps. Inuyasha was a dog demon, hanyou or not, their noses were keen. It would be bad to have him trace Sesshomaru's scent on her. She didn't need another confrontation today. Rin tried to quickly make herself scarce by turning around but it was too late.

"Rin!" Inuyasha shouted as he dashed up to her. Tensing, she walked faster but that only encouraged the hanyou to quicken his pace. In a second's worth, he was already in front of her. "Rin, we need to talk," he told her seriously.

"Inuyasha, please. We're done talking." The author stressed her unwillingness by looking away from his pleading golden irises.

He bristled at the quick rejection. "Rin, listen to what I have to say."

"No, just go home Inuyasha. I'm tired of this game," she said to him, walking around him and back toward the city. She wasn't about to bring him up to the apartment again and have Ayame throw him out like last time. She has already caused enough trouble for her roommate with her own problems.

Inuyasha ended up chasing her all the way to the business district, where much of the area was quiet and secluded. The business buildings loomed over her head, and barely any sunlight made it to the ground. Few people dressed in professional suits and dresses were strolling about with their suitcases in hand. There were a few courtyards in front of some buildings, where birds were chirping now and then. A small truck vendor was parked on the curb. The scent of food wafted through the air, attracting business people toward its direction.

Rin stopped nearby the truck and huffed. Looking left and right, she became at loss as to which direction to flee to next. Her feet were tired and her mind in a jumble. Just as she was about to take a left into an alley, she felt his hand lock onto her wrist.

"Rin!" Inuyasha jerked her into his chest. "Listen to me!"

"Inuyasha, let go!" she cried, struggling against his grip. She looked around and saw the people around them staring. Even the vendor was peering over his cart counter to see the commotion happening in the usually quiet place.

Inuyasha shook his head, looking down at her with stubborn gold eyes. "No, not until you promise to listen to what I need to tell you!"

"I…" she glanced, noticing that some people were whispering. No doubt that if she kept this up, the police will be involved. The last thing she needed was the government officials being a part of her runaway-stay away plan from Inuyasha. She relented. "Fine. But after you're done talking, go home Inuyasha."

Sighing in relief, he freed his hand and slipped it into hers and dragged her forward. His nose sniffed out a nearly deserted park, where ducks were swimming in the pond and a few elderly couples were sitting on benches feeding them. Just as they were about to go further from the entrance, Rin wrenched her hand from his grasp, stopping them both.

"This is far enough Inuyasha. Please, just say it and go home," Rin said, looking at the ground.

"Rin…" Inuyasha stared at her. "I… Please, why won't you come home with me? You were happy with me in Japan weren't you? You don't need Sesshomaru. He's only playing with you. He's been from the start."

"You don't know that Inuyasha. Also Sesshomaru's got nothing to do with this. He's been nothing but kind to me. And he's my employer, I can't just leave things as they are right now and go home with you," she replied. "You haven't met him for nearly your whole life, how can you be so judgmental of him?"

"I just know alright? He's nothing but bad news and hot air." Inuyasha grew frustrated as their conversation started down another direction. "But just come home with me. Come back to Japan. I'll go back if you will."

"But why Inuyasha? Tell me that much. Why should I go back to Japan when I have so many opportunities here? America's the land of opportunity and future. I should cherish my time and chance to be here. Japan has offered me all it had and yet, I was still stuck and never growing as a writer. Do you know how hard it is being a writer back home? I barely earn a living. But here… I can publish more, write more…" she trailed off. "You have to understand this. It's my once in a life time chance to succeed as a writer Inuyasha."

"But you can succeed in Japan too. It's a growing industry now," he argued. "And you were doing fine with your old editor!"

She chuckled mirthlessly. "I know that true. But that's not a good enough reason for me to go back. America is growing faster than Japan. Our homeland will never catch up to America even in the next century."

Inuyasha struggled for a better answer. Any reason he could think of seemed to have flown out of his mind. "I… I miss you. My mother misses you. Don't you remember when we were kids? We always played at a park or flew kites. Or ride our bikes to school. We had so much fun together. It was the happiest time of my life, when we were little. You were always there for me, Rin. You always protected me, always cheered me up, and always comforted me. You were different. You took me for who I was and always have. I was lucky to have met you." He grabbed at her hands and stared at it with deep concentration. His clawed thumb traced a pattern on her knuckles.

"It's hard growing up as a hanyou. It still is. But you always made me fit in, and always made me feel like I belong somewhere. Your presence made me feel like I am welcomed. Your eyes, they never looked at me with contempt or pity. You saw me for me. I was always overjoyed to see you, to have you next to me every day, to know that you'll always be there for me. I… I can't go on like this alone. Not without you. And you know that Rin," he finished.

Rin gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I'm sorry for leaving you so suddenly, for making you feel alone. But you have to understand. We're adults now. You can't be relying on me forever. You've found Kagome now for that."

Sighing, she ran a hand through one of his silver dangling side tresses. "But, no matter what, we'll always be friends. Best friends no matter where we are. In America or Japan. So go back home. Go back to Kagome. She's waiting for you and you have to make things right with her, alright?"

A breeze filtered through the park, rustling their hair. Time seemed to have frozen between them.

Her hand trailed down his arm, briefly squeezing his now clenched fists. "Goodbye Inuyasha," she whispered and walked away.

"I…," Inuyasha whispered harshly, eyes hidden by his fringe. His clenched hands shook at his sides. "I LOVE YOU RIN!"

Rin froze in her steps and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. With wide eyes, she turned around, mouth parted in speechlessness. She blinked disbelievingly. "W-What?"

Inuyasha lifted his head, eyes hardened with determination. A slight blush covered his cheeks. "I love you," he repeated, although not as loudly but enough to tell her that he was serious in his declaration.

Her hands covered her mouth. How long has she waited to hear those words from him? How many times has she imagined him saying it to her in her daydreams? But… did he truly mean it? Suspicion fell upon her thoughts. He could only be saying to bring her back to Japan and not mean it at all. Or he might mean it in a brotherly way.

The shock wore off, leaving a dazed Rin. She shook her head in denial. "No. You can't possibly mean it. You have Kagome…," she trailed off. Inuyasha grew furious.

"You think I'd lie about something like this?! You know me better than that Rin!" he growled and walked up to her.

"No, you're only saying this to bring me home! I know it! So please," Rin pleaded, "Stop this before it gets out of hand."

"No, you listen to me. I broke up with Kagome. Okay? I broke off the engagement with her!" Inuyasha said, grasping her forearms. "I… I was stupid. I truly thought that I loved her, but I don't! After you left, I… everything just fell apart."

Rin felt her eyes soften as she felt him trembling. "Inuyasha…"

"And coming here… I realized that it was you Rin. It was always you," he gritted, head bowed once more.

"Y-You can't…" she whispered, squashing the welling hope in her heart. "You're just confused Inuyasha. You just want me to go back to Japan."

"No! That's not true!" he shouted. "Damnit, I never lie to you Rin! You know that!"

She shook her head, pulling away from him again. "I… It's too sudden Inuyasha. You can't expect me to just believe you like this."

"Why not?" he demanded hotly. "You trust me, don't you?"

"It's not a matter of trust, Inuyasha!" she cried. Randomly, she remembered Sesshomaru's kiss. Her world was suddenly spiraling in haphazard directions. "I… I need to think about this. I'm sorry, but can we just…"

"Fine," he conceded resignedly. Rin looked at him. Inuyasha's expression looked disappointed, exhausted, and even betrayed. "I'll come find you when you're ready."

"Thank you," she murmured. She wanted to hug him but stopped just before she lifted her arms. She felt that it was too awkward to embrace him. Instead, she gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and fled.

Inuyasha stood there shaking as a salty scent clouded his nose.

* * *

"Well, we're here," Kouga proclaimed as he stopped his car and turned off the engine. Ayame gave a cheer. "No more driving! Gosh, eight hours is too much for my butt."

Rin laughed lightly at her friend's words. "Well, Kouga-kun did most of the driving, so you shouldn't be complaining Ayame-chan."

"Yeah, well…" Ayame looked trapped but brushed it off by quickly giving Kouga a kiss. "There, that makes up for everything. But let's unpack. I think it's going to snow soon."

"I'll take the heavy stuff. You girls just carry whatever you can. Ayame, could you open the door? The key's in your purse." Kouga exited the car and opened the trunk. Rin shivered as a cold gust blew into the still warm car.

"Yup, come on Rin-chan!" Ayame said, slipping out of her seat to grab some of her things from the trunk. Rin followed suit. She was surprised to feel her feet crunch when it stepped on the crisply fallen blanket of snow. It reached up to her ankles! It never snowed this much in Japan.

Giggling, she made a few more footprints with her boots before heading to the trunk. She took her small backpack with her personal belongings and the cooler packed with drinks. Kouga was trampling back from the lighted cabin. "You go on in, I'll get the rest."

"You sure? There's still quite a lot of stuff left to bring it." Rin looked dubiously at the other five or so bags of food and such.

"It's fine. Ayame needs help clearing out the cabin anyway. It's kind of musty and needs a little cleaning," Kouga answered, reaching for the bags as he did so.

"Okay." She nodded and walked over to the cabin. She opened the door with her free hand and stepped inside.

"Stomp on the mat first before taking off your shoes. Don't want to bring anymore snow to melt in here," Ayame said as she tested the lights around the two level cabin. The lights in the makeshift kitchen were on, so was the den and the connected sitting and dining area. She ran up stairs to check the lights. Rin did as she was told and took off her boots, setting them next to Ayame's.

She shivered as her feet touched the cold wooden floor. There was probably no installed heating system, so they'll have to light the fireplace soon. Ignoring the cold biting at her feet, she went over to the refrigerator planted near the sink and placed the cooler at its base. Next, she went upstairs and found that a few lights were turned on.

"Ayame-chan? Can I come up?" she shouted.

"Yeah! I got the lights on, except the bathroom's. I think it's burnt." Ayame called down. She started going down the stairs, squeezing past Rin. "A little narrow, but it's manageable. Anyway, pick a room! I'll go get my and Kouga's stuff."

"Thanks," Rin said as she went up. Reaching the second level, she took the smaller room, where a small twin bed sat. There was also a small desk and a small dresser. A carpet covered the center of the floor and a window faced the direction of the driveway. She found the light switch next to the door way and turned it on. The light hung from the ceiling, a bit low but not low enough to hit her on the head as she walked under it. Smiling to herself, she quickly put down her bag on the bed and took out a pair of snuggly slippers before going back down to help the couple.

Kouga was already storing away their foodstuff and drinks into the fridge. Ayame was dusting out the ashes from the fireplace and placing fresh logs in it. Rin quickly went over to take over. "I can do that Ayame-chan. You can go bring your stuff to your room."

"Okay, just light a match and set it in the middle. If the wood doesn't burn, just add another match. I'll be right back," the wolf youkai instructed. She then turned to grab her own bags and Kouga's and headed upstairs. The logs burned as soon as the match touched it and soon, the first floor of the cabin was glowing with warmth.

Kouga was going upstairs to fix the broken light bulb as Ayame began to make some quick food for them to eat. Rin started to explore around the cabin. There wasn't much really. A large pile of chopped logs sat near the hearth. There were a few wooden benches, covered with fur, arranged around the fireplace, with a rather oval-like table in the center. A carpet was set underneath the table, stretching out and nearly filling the entire floor.

The makeshift kitchen had a traditional indoor pump, high enough to bend over into a installed metal sink. There was a small counter and an old black stove near it. There were also multiple wires that connected to a single box near the back of the room, where Rin assumed the electricity came from.

Dinner was served and a small conversation was stirred up. When it was finished, Rin helped Ayame with the dishes as Kouga threw more firewood into the fireplace. "So, now that we had dinner, you wanna go to relax in the jacuzzi?" Ayame asked, wiping a dish dry.

"Jacuzzi?" Rin asked, puzzled. "There's one here?"

"Yup. Or at least, that's what Kouga told me. It's outside, in the back on the deck apparently. So what'd you say? We can have some beer while we chill," the red-head added.

"Haha, no, thanks. I'm still not really used to the cold, so I think I'll stay up in my room. Maybe tomorrow night after we go skiing?" Rin suggested, putting away the last of the dishware.

"Sure, and don't worry. You'll get used to this weather really quick. It's not half bad when you realize how nice the surroundings are. Kind of hard to tell right now since it's all dark and such. But come morning, it'll be gorgeous!" Ayame said merrily. The two females went upstairs. As Rin retired to her room, Ayame went to grab her bathing suit and some towels.

Sighing, Rin fell back onto her bed. Her bags were still unpacked, but she could probably do that tomorrow morning. She was just too tired. Too confused. Everything was colliding and fighting to fit, but all in the wrong spots. It was almost a puzzle with pieces forced together at the wrong corners and gaps. How did her life manage to spiral so out of control?

She moved here to avoid Inuyasha, although the time was short, she did just that. She pushed him out of her mind but never thought that she would allow another into it, and for it to be her employer nonetheless. Closing her eyes, the brunette recalled yesterday afternoon.

"_Tell me," Sesshomaru said lowly, a hand reaching to cup her face._

Her hand automatically reached up to her cheek, touching the spot where his hand lain. She could remember the strength in that hand. The ability it possessed to tear her to shreds, to make her knees go weak, to fire the cold passions in her blood.

_His fangs gently nipped at her lips, which prompted her tongue to snake out to soothe the sting and engaged their tongues into a duel._

She shuddered, still feeling the pressure from his heated kiss, the wetness of his tongue. How he managed to capture her so quickly? And why her? He had Kagura, did he not? She did not consider the other youkai until now. What if he was just playing around with her as a side affair? Something in her gut twisted at the unpleasant thought.

Perhaps… Sesshomaru was just messing around with her. Maybe Inuyasha was right… Her dark eyes fluttered open, staring up at the dim light from the ceiling. Inuyasha…

"_I LOVE YOU RIN!"_

How on earth did they go from best friends, to one-sided love, to mutual? He was so happy when he announced to her that he was going to marry Kagome. Yet now, he's telling her that it was a mistake between him and Kagome and that he loves her all along.

"_And coming here… I realized that it was you Rin. It was always you," he gritted, head bowed once more._

She felt something akin to despair as she tried to sort her feelings out for the two brothers.

No, she calmed herself, she'll take this step by step no matter how agonizing this was going to be. First up, Sesshomaru.

Rin felt alive, burning and weak kneed when with Sesshomaru, always respected and carefully cared for. He was quiet, stoic at times even, but his presence was comforting. He chose his words correctly, always to the point. Not to mention that he was also a great kisser. She blushed after the thought. On the other hand…

With Inuyasha, she was free, bubbly, protected and enjoyed the fact that he treated her with such familiarity and without restraint. He had a smart mouth, always dodging behind the bushes, but sweet in his own way. He would give up anything for her, she realized. But he was also confused, and truly dependent.

She owed Sesshomaru on a level but she also felt more for him than she anticipated. She wouldn't outright say that she loves him, because she didn't. She was filled with a mixture of like, respect, appreciation, and a whirlwind of other things.

For Inuyasha, she felt bound to intensely. She was her life, the person who she'd drop everything and anything for. She still loved him, but how, now that she has had so much time to reflect and with so many other revelations?

Groaning, Rin sat up and slapped her face lightly with both hands. Why, why, why? What was she going to do now? It was already a dilemma when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were said to be brothers. How was she going to respond to Inuyasha? And how will she explain herself to Sesshomaru after that?

"Rin-chan?" Ayame called from downstairs. She didn't hear them come back into the cabin. Getting up, she walked over to the stairs. "Yes?"

"I'm making some hot chocolate. You want some?" the she-wolf asked. Rin climbed down the stairs. Ayame looked concerned when she noticed the glumness on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine Ayame-chan," she reassured her friend. "Just did a lot of thinking about my novel, that's all," she lied.

Ayame didn't appear convinced but let the subject to drop. "Oh well, don't think too much. You're supposed to be having fun this weekend! Now, let's go check on Kouga's hot chocolate. He probably burnt it."

"I resent that comment, Ayame. You can't burn hot chocolate anyway," Kouga said miffed. He was carrying three steaming mugs of the hot beverage. Rin giggled. "I'm pretty sure that you can if others can burn water Kouga-kun."

"Rin, shut up. Here." He handed her a mug and they all settled on the wooden benches. The night passed quickly as they sat there talking about their plans for tomorrow, the fire crackling in the background.

* * *

"Kagome, are you sure you want to go alone?" Kagome's mother asked worriedly. She held onto the handle of her daughter's rolling suitcase. Kagome gave her mother a small smile.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry," she said reassuringly to her mother.

"It's just that you've never left home before and America is a big place. Not to mention dangerous. And from what my friend told me…" her mother rambled. Kagome laughed lightly and hugged her. "I'll be careful. I'll call you when I get there. And tell Souta not to mess with my room."

A short cough cut their embrace short. Kagome stepped away from her parent and turned around to find Inuyasha's mother standing nearby. Izayoi bowed in greeting. "Good afternoon Higurashi-san."

"Ah, Takahashi-san! It's a pleasure to see you. I haven't thanked you properly for giving this opportunity to Kagome." Kagome's mother bowed in gratitude.

"It is nothing. I'm sure that Kagome has decided to do what she must. And I should be apologizing for all the trouble and confusion this must have been." Izayoi answered.

"No, I understand." The mothers exchange a pleasant smile.

"All passengers flying to California, U.S.A, please proceed to Gate 13. Boarding will beginning in five minutes. All passengers please proceed to Gate 13 for the flight to California. Thank you and have a nice day!" The voice over the intercom boomed.

Kagome felt her heart squeeze and her stomach knot. Why was she being nervous all over again? She made up her mind and there was no going back. Clenching the plane ticket in her left hand, the woman took a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

With a bright smile, she hugged her mother once more and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be going now, okaa-san." Kagome took her luggage from her mother's hand and readjusted the duffle back across her shoulders.

"Be careful now. Don't forget to wash your clothes every few days. And be sure to call and let me know how you are. Your grandfather worries too much as well," Higurashi-san said with a watery smile.

"Yes, I will." Kagome looked over to Izayoi. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Izayoi-san. You've done a lot for me and I'll try my best to repay you when I get back."

The other mother gazed at her warmly. "It's fine. Just come home safe."

"Thank you again." Kagome bowed and walked in the direction of the gate. Her blue eyes sparked with determination.

Yes, she's going to get Inuyasha back. No matter what happens.

* * *

**AN:** Ah, well, this was a horror to write…. I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors that you might find. I am utterly exhausted from the tornado of my school life. But anyway, reviews? Flames even? Oh, the horror, I'm having nightmares about it now, I mean, a horny Sesshomaru? Someone save me. T.T Nonetheless, Inuyasha has confessed? Ah hopefully I'll update this after my final exams in June! I'm thinking that there are only about four to six chapters left.

As always thank you to my readers and reviewers for your consistent encouragement: **EverLastingRomance, fluffycrush, SpotedLeaf, Mazakai, vanifrappe,**and **Gryphaena**!


	17. Chapitre 17

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre 17,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

InuYasha sniffed as he eyed the semi-compound that his half-brother called home. It was fenced in, as expected, and located in a relatively quiet neighborhood with houses far in between. He eyed the black steel bars and easily scaled it with a jump. No alarms went off and no fiendish dogs came charging at him. Then again, this was Sesshomaru, a proud demon who didn't need any defense when he could easily handle a team of SWAT.

He strolled around the house, looking for an easy way in. Then again, he could always knock on the front door and walk in. Shrugging off the though, InuYasha spotted a small veranda on the second floor, which he assumed led to Sesshomaru's personal bedroom. He leapt and grabbed onto the ledge before swinging himself over the railing.

The veranda was clear except for two small potted plants at the corners. He didn't know if it was pure or dumb luck on his part but there happened to be an imp watering the plants. It immediately turned around with his bulbous yellow orbs widened in shock. InuYasha grinned predatorily at it as he ducked from the watering can.

"Intruder! How dare you trespass onto Sesshomaru-sama's property!" the imp squawked as he moved to pick up the potted plant. The hanyou easily caught it in one hand and set it down on the flat rail.

"I'm sure Sesshomaru won't appreciate you breaking his precious plants," the half-human replied snarkily. The imp sputtered in anger and wanted to charge at him. Only he was booted and then tossed over the veranda.

"Keh." InuYasha dusted his hands on his pants and slid the glass door to step inside. As expected, he found a made bed, a dresser, an armoire, a small table and two ornate chairs. The only thing that felt distinctly off was the atmosphere. The air was stale and almost grave. Nothing resonated life in the room even though it showed signs of a person living there. Makeup and accessories were spread across the dresser top, a vase with a fresh tulip sat on the small table, and a small clock ticked away at the nightstand.

He turned around and immediately spotted the large portrait hanging behind him. The portrait was in a teardrop shaped wooden frame. Two branches of detailed carved bellflower chains weaved down from the top of the frame, encircling the image. His breath was caught in his throat at the sudden beauty of the picture.

Even though he always thought of his mother as beautiful, the woman in this picture had a subtle beauty in her visage. Perhaps it was the peaceful demeanor that she emitted from her pose. She had thick black hair tied behind her nape. Her fringe was parted into three different sections and the curls over her ears were tied with red ribbons. Her green slate eyes were curved in a sweet smile. It was Sesshomaru's former fiancée, the human woman Kijimotou Sara.

The paparazzi had a field day when they discovered their engagement, exacerbating the envy and sadness of society's single women. Sara, despite being the youngest daughter of a business tycoon, was a charitable woman who performed good deeds with her father's influence. Furthermore, she also wrote and published under Inu Publishing Inc. They were almost a perfect match—the head of a publishing company and a daughter of a businessman.

But they never made it to the altar.

The news of their separation was not widespread, almost suppressed if he didn't know better, and almost none knew what happened exactly. The papers only suggested that they broke off the engagement due to the business and political differences between Sara's father and Sesshomaru.

However, InuYasha knew roughly of what happened a few years ago as he overheard his mother inquiring about his half-brother's wellbeing. Rather than being infected by SARS from her trip to China, the woman had actually developed a rare and deadly illness after returning from a trip to the Philippines. She was doing charity work there and was ambushed by a local group of guerrillas. From that encounter, she was injured and it was a new type of spore that entered her bloodstream. She did not live for very long after her return and died weeks later. It was Kijimotou, the business tycoon, who misled the public about the overall affair.

Feeling an inauspicious tremor running up his spine, the half-demon hurriedly exited the room and relied on his nose to find the rooms which Sesshomaru frequented. He found his bedroom first. It was not as lavished as the room which was left behind by Sara and he did not find anything useful in particular. He only found a photo of Sara set faced down on the window sill. Disgruntled, InuYasha went downstairs and was immediately confronted by imp from before, who comically has a forming bruise on his forehead.

"Ehh, you're still up?" InuYasha grunted as he dodged a kick from the little demon. "I guess you're stronger than you look."

"Y-You dare to trespass in Sesshomaru-sama's home! Just who do you think you are?" Jaken stammered while nursing his growing lump. InuYasha, growing irritated by each interference, tripped the imp and picked him up by the collar.

"Oi, tell me where the bastard's room is!" The imp merely narrowed his eyes at the hanyou.

"I would never betray Sesshomaru-sama to a filthy half-breed like you," he proclaimed while aiming futile kicks at InuYasha. Not unfamiliar with the name calling, InuYasha looked around and found the broom closet located in the kitchen. He chucked the smaller demon inside and turned the lock. The door rattled and muffled insults were heard from behind the door.

InuYasha ignored it and went about to look for Sesshomaru's study. If there was nothing to be found in the bedroom, then surely there was something he could find in the place where Sesshomaru worked. After opening numerous doors, InuYasha finally came upon the room. Not minding anything else around, he moved to the desk and riffled through all the drawers after seeing the desktop to be clear of any papers.

As he searched, his mind continued to wander back to Kijimotou Sara's bedroom. Obviously Sesshomaru was serious when he proposed to the human woman. He saw magazines proclaiming of his half-brother's availability, which InuYasha attributed it to the fact that he was still mourning his late finacee's death. And as far as he knew, Sesshomaru had been alone ever since she passed away. So why now? Why would Sesshomaru be suddenly interested in a woman who just came over from Japan?

It was too much for it to be coincidental. There were surely other writers who sought his company to publish their works—others who were probably more familiar or suitable to Sesshomaru's status. What made Rin stand out among them? Why did Sesshomaru single her out? Did Sesshomaru see something that he could have possibly missed? Impossible! He and Rin had been together since they were young; they knew everything about each other.

His hand stilled at the thought and his dog ears drooped slightly. No, apparently that was not the case anymore. He couldn't see the pain in her eyes when he introduced her to Kagome nor did he see the unwavering love she had for him until she left his side. An emotion surged within him and he clenched his fist, poised to slam it onto the desk. But when her sad doe eyes appeared in his mind, he stopped.

This was no time for that. As he continued to dig through one of the drawers, he found a manila file with Rin's name marked on it.

"I knew it," he muttered as he pulled it from the pile. He hastily grabbed some sheets from within and stuffed them into his pockets. Just as he dropped the folder back in the drawer, he felt the air shift.

"InuYasha."

The hanyou jolted and cursed inwardly at his lack of awareness. He lifted his eyes and saw the tall shadow of Sesshomaru standing at the door way.

"Sesshomaru," InuYasha growled. His fist dropped back to his side.

Sesshomaru strode slowly into the space of his study and InuYasha continued to eye his sibling from behind the desk. The full demon glared at him. "You are not welcomed here."

"Heh, I know that. But that's not why I'm here. I want answers, Sesshomaru!" InuYasha didn't flinch under the amber stare as he returned it with the same intensity. "Why are you after Rin? Leave her alone!"

Sesshomaru's expression turned to annoyance. "I don't have to answer to you, half-breed."

"You barely know her. Are you playing with her? Toying with her like the many other women in your life?" InuYasha felt furious at the thought. "She's too innocent for your sick games!"

"Keep your mouth shut if you know nothing!" Sesshomaru said lowly. "What is between her and me is none of your concern! Now leave and never set foot again on my territory!"

"It is my concern! She's my best friend! And you, you're the last person who deserves her!" the half-demon argued.

Sesshomaru only smirked. "And you believe that you are the better choice? You were the reason why she came to the States in the first place."

"Teme…" InuYasha snarled. This time, he jumped over the table, claws at the ready.

Sesshomaru stepped to the side, easily anticipating the head-on strike and his right hand darted out to seize InuYasha by the throat. The hanyou tucked himself to the ground and swept his leg out to trip the full youkai. Again, Sesshomaru dodged as he leapt back a few steps.

InuYasha sprung from a crouch and caught Sesshomaru in a headlock in midair. They both fell to the ground and wrestled with punches and slashes. A fist landed on Sesshomaru's left cheek but an uppercut was delivered to InuYasha's chin. Their sleeves began to shred as their claws tore easily through the fabric of their clothing. InuYasha aimed a knee at Sesshomaru's midsection once he gained leverage over the taller youkai but was thrown to the side by a sudden surge of strength from Sesshomaru.

With the air knocked out of him, InuYasha blindly swung his arms as he tried to regain his bearings. One of his fists made contact but then he felt himself being lifted by the front collar. A hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed. InuYasha gasped and saw that Sesshomaru had him. He dug his own talons into Sesshomaru's arm, breaking skin and causing blood to seep from his claws.

"I grow tired of your presence, pup," Sesshomaru growled. Red started to bleed into the corners of his eyes. His hold tightened when InuYasha tried to kick free. With a flick of his wrist, Sesshomaru tossed InuYasha out into the hallway. "Return to Japan."

InuYasha choked as his head collided with the wall. He stared venomously up at Sesshomaru. "I will bring Rin back with me. You won't hurt her, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru stared unresponsively as InuYasha bounded down the hallway and out the door.

Once outside, InuYasha wiped the dry blood from his lip and pulled out the wrinkled sheets of paper. One of them had Rin's photograph on it. Her image stared up at him, renewing his determination.

"I won't let you be with him, Rin. Not if I can help it," he spoke to it under his breath.

* * *

With knocks resounding from the door, Rin looked up from her laptop and called, "Come in!"

Ayame's cheery face greeted her. She held up two ceramic cups of steaming hot chocolate. "I come bearing gifts! Can I join you?"

The human woman nodded with a smile. She patted to the spot next to her on the bed. "Come sit! Where's Kouga-kun?"

"Kouga's busy cutting up the last bit of kindling. We want to be warm in the morning because the weather said it's going to be chilly up here in the mountains." Ayame passed Rin the cup. Rin set aside her computer and took it gratefully. It warmed her chilled fingertips and soothed the shivers of her body.

"So what are you working on now? Another part of your book?" The two women glowed from the blue-white light of the laptop and long musty yellow shadows were thrown on the cabin walls.

The dark brown haired female hummed. "Yeah, I am. I want to have the next chapter edited as soon as possible so then I can start working on the conclusion before finishing up the remainder chunk of the rest of the book."

The wolf youkai said nothing as they both sat in comfortable silence. Ayame couldn't help but finally bring up the issue.

"Rin-chan," Ayame started softly, "Have you decided yet?"

"Decided?" Rin frowned. "To be honest, I tried not to think about it after the first night here. But, no. I don't think I really made up my mind yet. It's hard. I didn't think that it would have to come to this…"

"Come to picking between two hot drool worthy men? Well, I guess it's not an experience everyone has a chance at," Ayame murmured. "But you have to eventually. You're not the only one hurting here. I'm sure your friend and Sesshomaru is too. It'll be best if you make a clean cut with one of them once you get back."

The brunette's eyelashes fluttered shut. She sighed. "I know. But I just wish that it can solve itself. I never thought this would happen. I never expected InuYasha to come all the way to America. I never expected Sesshomaru to want something more when he obviously has Kagura."

The red-head scrunched her nose. "As in Kaze? The other writer at Inu Publishings?"

Rin looked over to her friend. "Do you know her?"

Ayame shook her head. "No, but Kouga's told me about her. She's one of the company's more profitable writers. And she holds a good percent of the company's share too."

"She's pretty, she's rich, and she's a good writer," Rin counted off neutrally before she was confused. "I don't understand why Sesshomaru isn't already dating her. She's interested in him and I've seen them together once. But he told me that he was willing to hold a press meeting so that we can clarify the rumors from the newspaper. So that we can tell the public we are dating. Do you feel like there's something weird about this picture?"

"Not really. I mean, a guy's heart is pretty fickle, just like ours. Maybe you struck a chord in him and he's genuinely interested in having a relationship with you," Ayame reasoned. "And it might just be a one-sided thing between him and Kagura."

Rin's face dropped at the thought. "Then I'd feel really bad. Even though he might not be interested, he should give Kagura a chance. Maybe he'll realize that I'm not the one he's looking for."

"I feel like you're leaning toward going back to Japan with that InuYasha," the red-youkai said bluntly. "You want to try and show him that you're the one for him. Even though he was engaged to a different person."

"He said that he broke off the engagement," the brunette told her friend. Her expression became distressed at that thought. "I want to feel happy that he's finally realized that I loved him and that he's come all this way for me. But then I feel like I destroyed something precious between him and Kagome-san. I can't even begin to imagine how much hate she has for me now."

"Okay, now you're being conceited Rin," Ayame finally snapped. "You're pretty much stringing two guys along at the moment. And you're wallowing in pity because you think you're being kind to Sesshomaru by making a decision for him to date Kagura and because you think Kagome will be elated at the fact that you're completely torn about hurting her. You aren't the center of their universe. They could both suddenly realize that you're not right for them and decide to drop you like hot coal. Right now, because you're running away, you're pretty much waiting for a collision to happen and everyone is going to end up unhappy."

Rin felt the sting of her words and denial immediately flooded her mind. But the words did not form at her lips. She slumped in her seated position, the reality of Ayame's words finally settling in. "I'm sorry, Ayame-chan. You're right. I should stop running and be responsible."

Ayame felt a tickle of guilt from her sudden rant. "No, I should be sorry. I shouldn't have butted into your business."

"Thanks though," Rin placed a hand on Ayame's knee. "I really appreciated it."

"Uhm, I'll leave you to sort it out. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs, okay?" Ayame stood up, empty cup in hand. Rin nodded.

"Good night, Ayame-chan."

* * *

Izayoi glanced briefly up at the clock on the kitchen wall. The house was silent as ever, more so now that her rambunctious son was halfway across the world searching for the answer to his heart.

A sigh escaped the older woman's lips. Did time go by so quickly? Just where did all these years go? Her son, the little ball of trouble and adoration, had grown into a man with great stubbornness and with a big heart. Though he did not show it often to those around him, she knew that deep inside, he cared for those who he knew loved him. His signs of affection and care were gruff and almost nonchalant, but that was due to his upbringing. The lack of a father to guide him through the stage of adulthood caused the edges around his heart to be a little rougher.

Speaking of fathers, the mother picked up the photo frame from the edge of the counter. A finger lovingly traced the face of her beloved, of a youthful and shy InuYasha, and then trailed across the face of the other child in the picture. Sesshomaru.

Her heart still ached as she recalled the bittersweet moment when she watched the young teenager walk out of the house, leaving Japan permanently. She had stood at the other end of the hallway in the dark corner as she watched the father and son exchanged their last words.

Sometimes, she still blamed herself. She had ruined a perfect family—a family with a father, a mother and a beautiful son. She should have never agreed to marry InuTashio. Yet, she could not deny herself her happiness, even at the cost of another woman's misfortune. She was selfish and she felt extremely wicked when she accepted his proposal.

Even though they were engaged, she still worried. What would his first son think of him? And his mother? She knew that she would not be accepted. She was a home wrecker. InuTashio, she recalled, constantly told her that it was okay. He said that they were meant to happen and that it was not him who broke the oath of 'Til death do us part' between he and his former wife. She apparently had found a lover and chose to willingly end their marriage. This only pained Izayoi further as she realized that Sesshomaru was going to be taking the brunt of the rift between his parents.

Sesshomaru's mother flew to America, preparing to start her new life there. She left Sesshomaru in InuTashio's care, which he willingly undertook. During the three years that Sesshomaru had stayed with them, Izayoi tried hard to speak to the child, to interact, and to love him as her own. At first, he rebelled and ignored her. She was invisible to him. Even as his father punished him for ignoring her presence, he did not disrespect her. Never once did she feel the harshness of the poisonous words from his anger. In the end, she continued to talk to him and tried to give him the love of a mother. She accepted his silence and they eventually grew into a mutual relationship.

He only showed single responses and nothing more. He would not speak in detail, only what needed to be said, and she took it all in a stride. Even as he left, she tried to reach out to him, to let him know of his father and of his little step-brother, InuYasha. She called him, each month, away from InuYasha's ears, to just talk. She mostly left voice messages and felt that even though he disliked her, he listened. She wanted him to feel connected, to let him know that he still had family back in Japan, even though he was in the States.

But she never thought that one day she would have to ask him of something. She did not want him to think that she loved him only for him to repay her. She did not and could not bear the thought of him hating her further, after what she had done to his family.

"_Hello?" His voice was deep and clear, reminding her much of her deceased husband's voice._

_With a soft smile on her face, she said, "This is Izayoi. How are you, Sesshomaru-san?"_

_He grunted and curtly replied. "I am well. What have you called me for?"_

"_You have seen InuYasha, haven't you, Sesshomaru-san? He is there, in New York," she stated. She took a seat on the couch, the phone cradled between her hand and ear. "I apologize of not letting you know earlier."_

"… _And?"_

"_I am afraid that I will be causing you some trouble. But please, hear me out. It is my only favor, and I shall never ask you of anything which will cause you trouble," she quietly pleaded when she realized that it was going to be harder to persuade her step-son. Izayoi held her breath as silence grew between them._

_He exhaled shortly. "State it. But I make no promises."_

_Relief allowed her a slight room for her words. "A woman, her name is Higurashi Kagome-san and she is InuYasha's fiancée. She will be arriving to the States as well. She has no family, no friends over there. And all I ask is that you allow her shelter at your home. You don't have to be responsible of anything else of hers. I will repay you of all the expenses spent. Please, let her into your home until she is ready to return."_

_He seemed to consider it but asked, "What of InuYasha?"_

_She chuckled, and he could hear the sadness in it. "InuYasha is caught between a rock and a hard place. He has no means to provide for anyone other than himself at the moment. He will only cause distress onto others until he realizes what he truly desires."_

_Moments passed as Izayoi and Sesshomaru both sat in meditative silence. "The woman can stay. But do not expect me to be tangled in his mess. He is on his own."_

"_I understand," Izayoi told him as her eyes closed in weariness. "Hontou arigatou gozaimasu deshita, Sesshomaru-san. Take care."_

"_Hn."_

"I am so, so sorry, Sesshomaru-san," she whispered as she held the photo to her heart. Years have passed, yet that thorn in her heart did not disappear. She could only try to repent for what she had done. But she knew, deep inside, that it will never ever be enough. "So sorry."

* * *

Kagome counted the bills carefully and handed them to the driver. Then in the little English that she remembered from high school, she said, "Thank you. Have a good night."

The taxi driver nodded and waved to her before making a U-turn and drove away. Watching the vehicle disappear, she released a heavy sigh. It was a weary trip, coming all the way to New York. The long flight, the difficulty with communication, the unfamiliar environment, and the different culture strained her emotionally and physically.

Turning around, she faced a wrought iron fence. Behind the fence was a two-story home, slightly larger than any normal home found in the tight quarters of Japan, but not something extravagantly enormous. She pressed on the black box at the side of the gate.

Static echoed through the intercom and someone said with a squawk, "Who is this?"

A bit shocked by the rudeness of the tone and the English, Kagome fumbled for a coherent thought. "Uh, is this Takashi-san's home?"

"Who are you?" the person spoke again. "Go away!"

"No! Mou!" Unwittingly, she slipped into Japanese. "Do you speak Japanese? Is this Takashi-san's residence? I am here to see him!"

"Of course I speak Japanese! And who are you? Why do you need to see Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Please, Izayoi-san sent me here!" she said, hoping that the name will sound familiar.

"… Wait right there." Another beep and the line got cut.

Kagome stared at the box with doubt and worry gnawed at her insides. She wanted to leave, to find some sort of way to get inside or just to have somewhere to stay. She did not have the phone to call another cab and she did not know where she was. The fear of being alone and stranded in a foreign country seized her.

Just as she was about to let out a frustrated shout, the intercom buzzed. A clipped statement came through. "Enter."

The gates creaked open automatically and Kagome couldn't help but stare dumbfounded as she was allowed entrance. She walked up the paved driveway to the small little rotary in front of the house. A fancy car was parked in front. The lawn was green and there was a flowerbed of roses lining the perimeter of the house.

She tried to walk as fast as her feet permitted her and with her suitcase in tow. She could see someone at the front door, behind the glass screen door. It was a toad demon with bulbous eyes and swamp green skin. Kagome quickly surmised that it was this little demon who spoke with her over the intercom.

When she came upon the steps of the house, Kagome quickly bowed in greeting. "Konnichiwa, my name is Higurashi Kagome. I was sent here by Izayoi-san. She told me that I could stay here…"

"Hmph, I don't know why Sesshomaru-sama agreed to let a human wench like you stay at his home," he muttered under his breath. He did not bow in return. Nonetheless, he held the door open for her but made no move to the luggage. Quickly, Kagome stepped inside and toed off her shoes.

The house was spacious and hardwood lined the floor. Further in, she spotted the shift between hardwood to marble flooring. The toad snapped at her when she did not follow him. "Don't just stand there!"

A spike of annoyance peaked from within but the only proof of that was the slight change in her facial expression. Kagome followed the toad man deeper into the house. They went through a carpet-lined hallway with small little light fixtures on the walls. There was nothing hanging on the walls. The house was eerily quiet and she wondered if there was anyone else living here besides the master of the house and this little green imp. Caught up in her thoughts, Kagome nearly walked into the demon. She looked up and saw that she was led to a closed door.

"You!" the toad man squawked, "Wait right here! And don't touch anything!"

The demon rapped the door twice and entered slowly. He closed it after him.

Kagome made a face at the door. She felt a dislike growing inside of her for that toad demon. As she waited, the woman looked to her left and then again to her right, where she came from. There was only a window at the end of this hallway and the curtains were not drawn. It made her curious. Even though it was the night time, surely a window in the hallway didn't need to be covered. And the colors of this house, she noticed, were very cool but rich. Champagne carpets, marble floors, hardwood stairs and whatever other furniture there were.

It surprised her that this house had its own gates, signifying the wealth of the owner. Surely Izayoi-san did not have such high connections, could she? Then again, Kagome did not know InuYasha's mother for very long either. They only spoke a handful of times, but more since InuYasha came over to the States.

The door suddenly opened, interrupting her thoughts. The toad demon stuck his head out and left a crack at the door. "You can come in."

Kagome breathed in deeply and stepped forward. Somehow, she was becoming anxious about meeting her host. She did not want to give a bad impression to the host about Izayoi-san's guest, since it was she who helped her find somewhere to stay, but she didn't exactly know a thing about the host either. She could only be polite and hope that the host wasn't as awful as the toad.

The raven-haired woman peered in as she pushed the door further. The room was nearly dark, save the desk lamp. A demon, full-fledge from what she could tell, sat behind the desk. He did not look up at her when she stepped into the room. She paused when she came close to the edge of the desk and pretended to clear her throat. "A-Ano, it's nice to meet you Sesshomaru-san, my name is Higurashi Kagome."

The toad imp made an indignant sound as he sputtered, "H-how dare you address Sesshomaru-sama with such familiarity!"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru spoke lowly as he set down his pen. "Leave us."

Jaken looked pained at the thought but shuffled to the door without a sound. Kagome watched as the little demon opened the door and gave her a piercing glare before closing the door quietly behind him. She nearly rolled her eyes but Sesshomaru's voice interrupted her.

He sounded almost bored when he said, "So you are the woman that she sent."

_She? Ah!_ Kagome hesitantly nodded. "Hai! Izayoi-san told me that I can come here. Thank you for having me and please pardon my intrusion."

"Hn," he murmured loud enough for her to here. "Why do you not seek the half-breed? You are his fiancée, are you not?"

"Yes, I am. And that's exactly why I'm here looking for him! I don't know where he is," she declared, miffed. Even though she was aware of the discrimination toward the lesser demons, she couldn't help but feel so when it was directed at InuYasha. Didn't Izayoi-san say that this man before her was InuYasha's older brother? Why did he bear such a dislike?

Sesshomaru did not reply but rather, he was looking at her directly now and was scrutinizing her. Kagome stood tall, unashamed. She did not notice his eyes widening for a moment. But she saw that his expression became slightly confused before it vanished. "If I may ask—"

"You may not," Sesshomaru interrupted. But she continued as if he didn't.

"Where will I be able to find InuYasha? You must at least know where he is right now," she stated. Her dark eyes stared down at the older demon even as his gaze hardened with irritation. Slowly, he stood up and towered over her. The lamp on his desk illuminated his facial features, highlighting the markings on his face and the sharpness of his jaw line.

"It is not my job to keep track of someone of no concern to me," he intoned. "This is your own search, do it yourself. Jaken."

Kagome stared at Sesshomaru, dumbfounded at his blunt answer. She didn't even hear Jaken come in. Inside, she struggled between snapping back at him and staying quiet. She was here only because of Izayoi-san. It would be extremely rude of her to do anything that will make Izayoi-san look bad.

"Take her to the guest room upstairs, by the front of the house. Show her the kitchen and the bathroom as well," Sesshomaru instructed the kappa demon.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama! Come on now!" Jaken said, "We haven't got all day!"

Kagome stiffly bowed to Sesshomaru. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-san."

* * *

The scenery slowly melted from the forest and snow to the open glades and high towers in the horizon. The setting sun was drawing long shadows onto the ground. Music passed in and out of her ears as she ignored Kouga and Ayame's spontaneous duets with the radio.

After tossing and turning all night long, her mind and heart reluctantly came to an agreement. It was time for her to move on. Inuyasha didn't belong to her the minute he introduced her to Kagome, therefore, she shouldn't struggle so desperately to escape this pain. She also shouldn't think any further about his confession. Whether he meant it or not, he couldn't be hers—Kagome-san captured that part of his heart first and to be second was not something that Rin wanted.

She loved InuYasha wholeheartedly from her youth, and he was always first in her heart. It wouldn't be fair to her.

Sesshomaru on the other hand seemed genuine in pursuing her. She felt comfortable around him and was not really bothered by the fact that they were technically employer and employee. They were both individuals of a business to the public eye and romantic interests in their private time. As long as this budding relationship did not have any troublesome impact on her career as a writer, she did not mind continuing to see where this current relationship with Sesshomaru would lead.

But the doubts of his relationship with Kagura hung heavily on her decision making. She wanted to say that it was a one-sided thing between the other author and Sesshomaru, even though that one time she saw them together at the market convinced her of otherwise.

She didn't want to be involved in a love triangle, Rin mused. It would almost be as bad as what was going on now in her life. Except the only difference was that she didn't know if it was Kagura or her who would be the given the title of 'the other woman'. It would be too much of a mess to get her hands into.

The only thing to do was ask Sesshomaru up front to clarify things between the three of them—him, her, and Kagura. And she would have to base her decision on his answer.

Rin nodded to herself just as the car pulled up to their block and Ayame turned around.

"We're finally home!" the red-headed ookami youkai cheered as she unbuckled her seatbelt and slipped out of the car. The brunette woman smiled and did the same. Kouga turned off the engine and joined them at the trunk.

But right now, she should find InuYasha first. It would be best to let him know that she was firm in her choice to remain in the States. Hopefully it would be enough to let him know that he should go home to Japan and find Kagome-san and make things up with her. The only problem right now was where she to find her childhood friend in the first place? She didn't even know where he was staying much less if he was still around.

"Rin-chan," Ayame's voice prodded Rin from her thoughts. Rin looked up at her friend. Ayame's eyes were staring warily at the doorstep. The brunette quickly turned her head and felt her heart drop.

InuYasha, who originally was sitting down at the stairs of the apartment building, slowly stood up as he realized that they saw them. He stood up with his arms at his side and his shoulder slack. He didn't want to scare the woman away, not a second time. He also didn't want her to turn him away, especially when he had such important matters to tell her.

Rin felt her heart speed up when she saw her best friend shrouded in darkness. His silver hair glinted in the street light and his amber eyes glowed in the darkness. Rin wanted to take a step back when she felt the impact of the emotions from his stare. Why was he staring at her like that? It was different, unusual even. The intensity of them terrified her.

Kouga came from around the car with two suitcases in hand. When he noticed that the women stopped, he glanced up at what caught their attention and immediately felt threatened. He pushed his way in front of them protectively and growled, "What are you doing back here, mutt?"

"Stay out of this, wolf!" InuYasha grunted, eyes flickering between the alpha male and the woman he wished to speak with. "I only wanted to talk to Rin."

"You've caused enough trouble for the both of them. I suggest you leave before I hand your ass to you again, on a silver platter this time too," Kouga said while cracking his claws. The two suitcases fell to the ground. Ayame edged closer to her friend and slipped into a defensive stance.

"Look, I'm here to talk to her! I have no time to play with you!" InuYasha snarled this time with impatience. He stepped forward and Kouga tensed. The wolf demon was ready to pounce on the hanyou at the next step.

What was he doing here? Her mind swam. It was too soon, she wasn't ready. Not yet. Not for something that could possibly change her life forever. Or his. Or Kagome's. Or Sesshomaru's. This moment, it wouldn't just affect her. It was going to affect all those involved. She wasn't ready to bear the consequences of her actions, of her feelings, of her decisions. She knew, deep down inside, that eventually, this time would come and that she would have to see it through no matter how hard and how scary it was going to be for her. She knew that one way or another, someone was going to get hurt.

She was not willing to endure more heartache, not when things were especially rubbed in front of her face. Cold hard facts couldn't be changed overnight. Even with what had happened, Rin was still unsure. She doubted and feared. She didn't want to hope, not when her chances of winning this battle being less her favors from the start. It would only devastate her.

Could she handle it? No, she probably couldn't. She was only a weak woman with too many insecurities and the heartbreak of many years. She only knew how to run away and avoid, forget, leave behind and never return. Or at least, that was what she thought she knew how to face a situation like this. Why did things have to become so complicated? So twisted?

Was she really living a life of a drama? Or was she dreaming and eventually, she would wake up and find this all to be a figment of her imagination?

No, this couldn't possibly be a dream. This decision was suffocating her. But she knew that it had to be done and over with. With more resolve in herself, Rin returned her attention fully to the scene before her. Just as Kouga was taking another step forward, Rin jumped past Ayame's side and grabbed onto Kouga's shoulder. "Kouga-kun! Please, don't!"

The dark haired wolf furrowed his brows in confusion. "He's going to hurt you again, Rin."

Rin shook her head. "No, it's okay. I promise. I'll let him talk to me and if I need help, you will hear me. I'm really sorry about the trouble… Ayame-chan, can you please bring my stuff upstairs?

Ayame eyed the hanyou skeptically and warily. She did not want another broken door in the apartment, things like that did not come cheap and the landlord certainly didn't like it when he found out that the door was reduced to splinters. "Are you sure, Rin-chan? Kouga and I can always dump him in a trash barrel somewhere…"

Rin smiled gratefully at her friend, but her doe eyes were still sad. "Hai! Arigatou, Ayame-chan! Kouga-kun!"

InuYasha resisted the urge to shuffle his feet in annoyance. Why was she so friendly with them? She couldn't have known them for very long. And it was the first time he ever heard her address another male with such an affectionate suffix. It was usually reserved for him, and only him. He tried not to stiffen up when Rin finally gave him her full attention. She walked over to him and he took a step back, giving her some space between the street and the apartment stairs.

Rin stopped next to him and briefly looked at him before murmuring, "Let's go talk upstairs."

He followed her quietly to the flat. She fumbled slightly with her keys and almost dropped them. Upon instinct, InuYasha reached out and swiped them from the air. Then he handed them to her. He felt a stab of pain in his heart when she gave him a weak smile and saw her hands tremble. Was she afraid of him? No… it wasn't right… she was never afraid of him. How did it get to this? To the point when she felt threatened by his presence when she used to be all but comfortable? His hands clenched at his sides, the pain slowly growing inside.

Once they made it inside, she immediately made a beeline to her bedroom. InuYasha stood awkwardly between the door and the living space.

Unsurely, he walked to the edge of her door and knocked. Rin glanced over her shoulder and nodded. "Come in."

The hanyou slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. Rin minded her own business as she set her computer aside. He watched her silently. And his fingers reached into the back pocket of his pants and plucked the folded pieces of papers out.

He would finally make her see that Sesshomaru was going to hurt her. She would finally realize that she was safer by going back with him to Japan.

"InuYasha," Rin said as she finally turned around to meet him face to face. InuYasha looked up. She did not take another step closer to him.

"Rin," he replied. He hesitated, unsure whether to approach her or to wait for her to make the first move. In the end, he put is his foot forward. But the woman held her hand up and shook her head.

Rin's shoulders slumped as she sighed. "You said you wanted to talk?"

His golden eyes hardened. "Yeah. I want you to come back with me to Japan. Right now."

Brown eyes looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious? We've gone over this before, InuYasha. I can't just go back. I'm starting to make progress here as a writer! It's irresponsible of me to just drop my project and go home!"

"You did that once, when you left Japan without saying anything to me! You had a job there, and then the next moment, you landed here!" InuYasha accused, "If you can do it back then, you can always do it again."

"I'm sick of running away. I've changed!" Rin retorted. "I'm going to make a career here. And I'll go back when I realize it."

"That can take you months, even years! You'll never return to Japan at that rate! For all you know, Sesshomaru might actually never publish your work! He can drop you like a fly if he wanted!" InuYasha stated harshly.

Rin shook her head. "That's not true, InuYasha. Sesshomaru is personally reviewing each of my works and I have been getting nothing but positive and helpful feedback from him as my editor. I'm more than halfway done with my manuscript and it won't be long before it will be published."

"He's nothing but bad news, Rin," InuYasha told her. He was disgusted by how easily Sesshomaru had gained her trust. His promises were deceitful. "He's been getting information on you. And after reading it, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"It's only normal! I'm a new addition to his firm, and background checks are nothing out of the ordinary!" she refuted. "He's already told me about it! Stop trying to make him the bad guy here, InuYasha! Sesshomaru has only been kind and friendly to me!"

"Like he has to all the other women he's been with," he muttered poisonously. "You don't see that he's only trying to have a good time before he drops you. I don't know why he is so interested in you when he barely knows you."

The brunette held back the urge to scream at her best friend and clenched her fists at her side. "If you have nothing else to say to me, I think we've talked for long enough InuYasha. Just… just go home. You still have your fiancée waiting for you."

"Look! I have proof! Just look at this and then tell me that he's doing a regular background check on you!" the hanyou brandished the crumpled sheets of paper before her.

She looked dubiously at them and then back up at his face. A hidden determination gleamed in the depth of his eyes and a grim line was set on his lips.

He urged a little more softly, "I'll leave after you tell me what you really think when you see this."

Rin reached out and tentatively grasped the edges of the papers. Inwardly, she was a bit fearful. What if InuYasha was telling her the truth? What if Sesshomaru was only playing around with her? What would she do then? But then what was all that about back in the office when he kissed her? Was he also lying to her when he said that he was willing to bring their relationship to the public?

With shaky hands, she traced her eyes carefully over each line of the documents. There was some general information of her past job and her citizenship in Japan, but then it started getting strange. He looked up her education background in Japan, and also her numerous residences once she made it out of the foster care system. Her eyes widened when she saw the pictures of her deceased parents and the information listed underneath their names. There were some things about them which even she was not aware of.

Sensing her surprise, InuYasha added quietly, "There were also many photo clips of you. Some of them were probably from your childhood and adolescence; others were a little more recent."

Rin sat down heavily on her bed as the bottom of one sheet caught her eyes. In place on the line for the request for these documents was signed by none other than Sesshomaru Takahashi with a clean and distinguishable flourish.

Just what was this about? Why was he going so far as to find out about her parents? Many things related to her past were in his hands, but what for? She didn't understand his level of scrutiny. But she did realize that this was no ordinary background check. Did she portray herself as suspicious to him? Was she some kind of threat that required him to take such measures? Was that why he kept seeking her out?

"Rin," Inuyasha murmured softly, noting the upset state she entered. Perhaps now that she knew, she would be more willing to return to Japan with him. He knelt on one knee in front of her and placed hand next to her leg. The brunette slumped. The papers fell to her lap as she stared down at him in disbelief.

Who does she believe now?

After a short knock, Ayame poked her head into the door, looking slightly uncomfortable. Rin didn't know if that was from the tension that was obviously in the air or something else.

"Rin-chan?" Ayame murmured softly, as her green graze shifted between her and InuYasha. "Are you okay?"

The authoress managed a weak nod. "What's up, Ayame-chan?"

The ookami female hesitated, and she worried her lower lip. "Uh…"

InuYasha started growling under his breath as he did not like the interruption. The longer this distraction went on, the less of a chance he would get to sway Rin's heart on coming home with him. "What is it?"

The red head narrowed her eyes at him. She bore her fangs at him. "It doesn't concern you!"

"Ayame-chan?" Rin prompted, quietly dissipating the animosity.

"It's just…" Ayame firmed up and grabbed Rin's hand, dragging her out to the living room. "There's something you should see on the television…"

Kouga looked behind him from the couch. Ayame dropped Rin's hand and sat down next to him. InuYasha came up from behind Rin, peering from next to her at the screen. The commercial break faded and the gossip segment came up.

"We're bringing in the latest gossip of New York!" the television hostess said. "I'm sad to tell the single women of our audience that the highly sought after bachelor, Sesshomaru Takahashi, has been seen with a female companion. But this is just the tip of the iceberg!"

The screen suddenly divided into four different photos. Each image was enlarged on the screen. The first one was a capture of Sesshomaru's house with a woman being dropped off. The hostess picked up her cue cards, "This was captured recently by one of our anonymous employees! It is a rare sight for guests to visit Sesshomaru Takahashi's personal estate, much less a woman!"

Rin didn't know how to react. Part of her was relieved that it was not Kagura. But another side of her churned with worry. She bit her lip. Perhaps InuYasha was right. If there was another woman, who could so freely visit Sesshomaru's home, then she was only a past time for him.

The next picture came up. It showed the woman entering the house with a shorter imp opening the door for her. The one after that was a close up of the house. This was a window shot of the woman and the backside of a tall male. It was easily discerned that the man was Sesshomaru. Finally, the last shot showed the woman's face clearly.

Rin's brown eyes grew wide. It couldn't be… could it?

She looked between the television screen and to the man behind her. He looked completely floored. From his reaction, she knew that he was just as surprised as she was, if not more.

"We don't know who this beauty is, but she seems to be acquainted with Sesshomaru Takahashi. The only question is, how well do they know each other? Stay tuned as we follow up on this piece of news!" the show anchor said enthusiastically before moving on to the next segment of gossip.

Ayame turned off the television and discretely stared at the pair. Kouga coughed and excused himself, pulling his girlfriend with him to her bedroom. Rin didn't say anything as they walked passed and didn't even know what to make of the situation anymore.

"K-Kagome?" InuYasha muttered in shock as the image of his ex-fiancée's face seared into his mind.

* * *

**AN:** FINALLY! I am back! This was a p-a-i-n to write because I run into so many blocks. It wouldn't flow and I had to continuously take breaks before it all came together. But I hope it is worth it! I bet so many of you saw this coming hahaha. Regardless, I hope that the next chapter will have much less difficulty!

See you in the next chapter! Lots of love to my readers and reviewers! And please let me know what you think!

Special thank you to _Gryphaena, d2shny, islandeyes, Zirii, lychee loving, _and_ love joy_.


	18. Chapitre 18

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre 18,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Rin didn't know how to respond. The apartment was quiet now. The silence was deafening and it seemed to swallow whole anything that she wanted to say.

Kagome? Wasn't she InuYasha's fiancée? What was she doing here, in New York, and with Sesshomaru of all people? Why did things suddenly get so twisted? Was this the side that Sesshomaru hid from her? Did he know Kagome from before? Why were they together? Why was he so interested in learning more about her then?

Did Kagome tell him about her fallout with InuYasha? Was that why she came? Did InuYasha know that she came? No, it wasn't possible, Rin thought as she shook her head inwardly. Not with the expression that he has on now.

He looked so torn. It was pulling her feelings apart to see him this way. She never enjoyed watching her childhood friend go through hard patches during their life. He was her rock, the epitome of safety and strength. Now he was so vulnerable, with everything written clearly across his face.

Rin felt a spike of ire within her grow. It was that woman, the woman who InuYasha loved enough to want to spend his life with, who was causing him this pain. Suddenly, it felt like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over her head.

No, he told her that he gave up on Kagome. And he said that he loved her instead. That was why he was still here, trying to bring her home. Something clenched tightly inside. But then why did he look so stunned at the fact that Kagome was visiting Sesshomaru? Did this mean that InuYasha still have feelings for Kagome? Even though he said that he didn't? A jealous flare added to her irritation, despite her attempt to quell the feelings.

She shouldn't be feeling this way. Yet, it made her see how easily swayed InuYasha was of his own feelings. Who did he really love? Would he and Kagome get back together once they see each other? And then would she be forgotten once more? Or would he choose her, as she hoped initially, and share a life with her instead? A shudder passed through her as she shook her head.

No, it was not time for those thoughts right now. Her best friend was in pain, it wasn't time for her to think of things that could be discussed later.

"InuYasha?" Rin uttered unsurely next to him as she placed what she hoped was a comforting hand on his upper arm. He kept starting at the television screen even though it was turned off. She wanted to frown when she realized that he was trembling faintly, but from whether from sadness or anger, she was not clear. The woman almost took a step back when the downcast eyes suddenly looked straight at her. They were filled with intense but undecipherable emotions.

Suddenly, InuYasha's hand reached up and clamped down on her hand. She felt him squeeze her fingers, but did not wince. Rather, her brown eyes were still captivated by his golden ones. It had been a while since she saw such painful and confusion written eyes from her best friend. Her heart thudded heavily as her breathe escaped her in worry. With her other hand, Rin cupped his cheek and rubbed soothing circles with her thumb underneath his left eye.

The hanyou continued to stare down at the woman before him, not truly feeling the comfort of her warm hand on his face. Instead, his mind began to blur images together, mixing his feelings. Just what was going on in his head, he wasn't sure. But everything was so pent up inside now. It was aggravating, it was burdensome. What was a guy to do in a situation like this?

Releasing a haggard breath, InuYasha gave into his impulsive side. Without any warning, he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips urgently against hers. His eyes were closed tightly.

Rin froze with her eyes wide as InuYasha kissed her. A million thoughts flew by her as time seemed to stop for her.

What was he doing? Why was he kissing her? Why was she letting him? Didn't she tell him not too long that she wasn't going to return back to Japan with him? Didn't she say that she trusted Sesshomaru? That she was going to give Sesshomaru the chance? But then there was the issue of his so-called innocent background check on her. Could she really risk that chance? She might get hurt again. But now, she didn't know why InuYasha wanted to kiss her. Especially since he probably didn't mean it—or did he?

Her heart raced at the possibility.

Before she could further wonder, InuYasha pulled back. This time though, his eyes were more unfocused as he withdrew to analyze his feelings. He still felt the pangs of sadness and claws of confusion digging into his conscious. There was something empty but comforting when he kissed Rin, but not what he wanted to have. He drew back into the shocked eyes of Rin, feeling a little guilty but also a little triumphant. Guilty because it was clear that she was struggling now about her own feelings. Triumphant because he knew that he could still sway her to be his.

Just when he realized he should apologize and untangle from her arms, the silver-haired male became surprised as Rin slowly guided his face down to hers and gently pressed their mouths together. Slowly, InuYasha returned her kiss, slipping his hand behind her neck and tilted her head up. Their arms slowly entwined around their bodies and legs traveled back to her room.

Consequences be damned.

It felt right, then and there.

Rin sighed. InuYasha closed the door with his foot.

The rest could wait.

* * *

The moment he drove by the office building, Sesshomaru knew that something was wrong. Reporters, not of the regular news stations, were loitering around the front entrance and the side entrance of the building. A quick glimpse into the front lobby told him that there were more people waiting there as well.

Grumbling underneath his breath, the demon drove his vehicle into the building garage and hopped onto the elevator. It stopped once it reached the first floor. He braced himself for the hoard and was thankful that the security kept the frenzied crowd behind the security gates. But the gates did not deter the frantic camera-flashing or the muddled questions asked by the interviewers. He caught words but they did not connect in his mind. The only thing that stood out to him was his name, something regarding his single status, and his home.

He entered the high-rise elevator, thankful that the noise dimmed the minute the doors closed. If those people downstairs did not leave within the next two hours, he would have to call the local police, which meant more costs and being on the evening news. How troublesome.

The elevator rang when he reached the office floor. He would let his secretary and the security downstairs handle it.

"Good morning, Mr. Takahashi," a secretary said as he walked by. "There are currently two transcripts on your desk, pending approval signatures. Then I need you to confirm the two new writers who want to be published under our company before I send out letters for their interviews. Also I've brought your daily paper to your desk, but uhm…"

Sesshomaru gave her a quick stare, causing her to fidget uncomfortable. He did not have time to wait so he asked her coldly, "What is it?"

"You might want to skip page three and the entertainment section entirely, sir," she told him hurriedly. "If there's anything else you need, please let me know."

Sesshomaru looked at the closed door before marching over to look at the specified pages. His golden eyes narrowed as they scanned the words on the pages and the pictures splashed on side. He flipped quickly to the entertainment section and his hands clenched the newspaper tighter in his grasp, to the point that wrinkles lingered on the newspaper even after he tossed it into the trash bin.

He should have known that it was bad news the minute he agreed to let InuYasha's wench stay at his house.

Normally, he would not mind the publicity. After all, any news was good news for the company since most of the gossip about him would in a roundabout way would focus on his background as the owner of the large publishing company.

But his insides churned for being thrown into the latest hot entertainment section with that human woman. It was not included in his plans, especially when he was preparing to have a serious talk with Rin the minute she returned from her trip.

If this news appeared in the paper, no doubt it was already broadcasted over the television channels. This meant that the chance of Rin finding out about it was increasing significantly as each minute passed. The last thing he needed was for Rin to doubt him, not when he was finally making progress in learning more about her. And more importantly, there was still the secret he had yet to unveil. From all that the reports he read about her, there was nothing that stood out.

It was true. She was descended from a line of priestesses, from her paternal great-great-grandmother. But the power of the family diminished eventually and they moved away from the family shrine closer to the city. The family shrine was demolished eventually. Her parents were average citizens with middle class jobs but got hurt and passed away on a business trip abroad. She was orphaned just before she entered military school and went into a local orphanage before being adopted. Her grades throughout school were nothing spectacular or poor and she graduated a few years ago from university with a bachelor degree in the arts. Nothing about her past or her background screamed out at him that said she possessed something extraordinary. And if she did, she was probably unaware of it herself.

Just what did his father mean when he said she bore the "weight equal to the world" and how did it relate to this secret that she supposedly harbored from him? Resisting the urge to growl, Sesshomaru sat down at his desk and stared at the packet that was marked with Rin's distinctive handwriting. Her latest chapters were back after a revision period. He wondered if her story had any correlation to her current life. Every chapter she wrote was almost prophetic of the events to come in the near future.

He scoffed at his own thoughts. It was impossible.

Or was it?

He remembered certain parts of her story. Two main characters with two major supporting characters, all thrown into a confusing Feudal Era Japan with twisted relationships long the way as they set out to solve a mystery. The romance between the characters crisscrossed in an unorthodox manner, but perhaps that was one of her strange yet alluring techniques in her writing. It was almost laughable as he ran parallels between the fictional characters to the people involved in this mess now.

But in all honesty, just what was the relationship between them?

He gave her his word that if she wanted, they would reveal what little of a budding relationship they have to the public through a press conference or a private interview. It was similar to what he did when he was with Sara. But it did not feel right as he recalled how they were put under the spotlight during one of their first dates.

He did not feel comfortable having her in the prying eyes of the rumor-based world. She was not like Sara, who was exposed early on to the public's criticizing eye by her father's business. Rin was so innocent and almost gullible despite the things she wrote. It aroused the urge within him to hide her from snooping reporters and to maintain that trusting innocence. Even if it was only to have her focused solely on him and not worry about the absurd things newspapers said about her or him. The less speculation made by the media, the less influenced they would be by them, and the less misconceptions they would have of each other.

He admitted that there was a particular charm about her that drew him in initially. She was an open book and was not afraid to show her emotions. He also liked seeing the blush that raced across her cheeks when he kissed her and sometimes, he wondered if it went father down. Rin was an enjoyable companion to speak to in the sense that she did not try throwing herself at him, as Kagura did. Her words were not guarded and her thoughts were revealed without much insistence.

But did he honestly want to continue as they were?

An image of InuYasha surfaced to the forefront of his thoughts and it left a sour taste in his mouth. Right now, he was an obstacle and no longer worth the time to keep around as a pawn in his game. It would impede his search if Rin were to get together with the hanyou. They might be friends, but the more time she spent with him, the less chances that he would have to draw out the answer that he was seeking.

He felt his inner hackles rose as he envisioned the pair together.

His brows furrowed when he realized the torrent of unease that swept through his mind. Why was he feeling this way now? He thought that it should have been easy for him to initiate contact with her, get what was his from her, and finally distance himself from her. But it seemed that it wouldn't be the case. He was being pulled to her and somehow, she was starting to work her way into his mind.

His mind flashed back to the intense moment in his office just before she left on her short vacation. Usually, he had a good reign over his actions and emotions, but that time his hold slipped, especially when she tried so hard to leave. Her answer was unsatisfactory, for some reason still unknown to him, and it triggered the beast within. It was unnerving how he was losing control of the situation.

Raking his hand through his hair, Sesshomaru glanced again at the folder.

He needed to see her, to speak to her, so that he may get this over with quicker. He refused to lose control again.

Picking up his desk phone, Sesshomaru easily dialed the number of her cell phone. The phone rang once, twice, five times before it directed his call straight to voicemail. The monotonous pre-recorded voice told him to leave a message after the beep. Frowning, he hung up and glanced at the clock.

It hadn't been an hour since he arrived at the office. But this could not wait any longer.

The dog demon arranged the manuscript folder into his briefcase. Snapping it shut, Sesshomaru strode to the door and stepped out. His secretary looked up from her desk in surprise. "Sir? Are you going somewhere?"

"Reschedule my meetings for today. Have Jaken sign off on the interviews and arrange for another editor for the manuscripts. I'll be coming in tomorrow," he told her succinctly.

The woman blinked, dumbfounded and slumped in her seat when the man walked off without another word.

* * *

InuYasha's face scrunched when the sunlight hit his eyes, rousing him immediately from his sleep. He threw an arm over his eyes and rolled to the other side, so that his back was toward the sun. Blinking sleep from his eyes, the hanyou came face to face with the picture on the nightstand. It was the picture of him and Rin from back then. Golden eyes blinked in confusion.

He sat up, trying to gather his wits about him. So he knew that he was in Rin's room, especially since her scent was most overwhelming here. And he was currently sitting up on her bed, her blanket covering his lower half. His first thought upon realizing that he was in her bed was that he hoped that nothing of severe consequences happened between them. So when he looked down to see his shirt still on his person and from the feel of it his jeans were also intact, InuYasha couldn't help but release a sigh of relief.

But the relief did not last long as the muddle in his head refused to clear. Closing his eyes once again, he tried to remember what happened last night and how did he end up in her room.

Vivid memories of the television screen drove a deep punch into his gut as images of Kagome came to mind. To see her appear to have easy access in and out of Sesshomaru's home made him wonder just what their relationship was. Did they know each other from before? InuYasha frowned. She never mentioned about knowing people in the United States, much less New York. It did not sit well with him as he came to see that he actually did not know very much about Kagome's personal life. Sure, he met her small family, which included a younger teenage brother, a mother who always insisted that he stayed for dinner, the extremely superstitious grandfather, and their weird calico cat. He knew mostly of what she did and a bit of her college history, but nothing really before that time period. Yet, he was sure that Kagome knew many things about him and his personal life. He told her about his mother and even Rin. In fact, now that he thought about it, perhaps he was wrong to assume that Kagome knew much about him. No one would, in comparison to his mother, or to Rin, as they were both present through the majority of his life.

Then Rin surfaced to the front of his mind's eye. Last night, they did something that he never thought they would do—they kissed. But he kissed her first. Inside, he figured that she would at least push him away, since she said that she decided she wanted to set her heart entire on Sesshomaru. To his surprise, it was not the case. Instead, she kissed him back and that caught him off guard. Even though he felt a swell of hope, as it meant that she truly did not give up her feelings for him, InuYasha didn't know how to handle it.

That matter aside, the rest of the events seemed like a blur to him. Somehow, they ended up in her room, on her bed, where he supposed he fell asleep. He assumed that she did as well. He glanced to the space next to him on the large bed, where she should have been. Only she was not, and inside, something heavy fell.

So then, where was Rin?

InuYasha closed his eyes in disappointment. Did she run away? Was she upset that he was making her struggle with her feelings?

"You're up."

InuYasha cursed himself inwardly for not realizing that her footfalls were outside. His amber eyes opened, taking in the rumpled clothes that Rin obviously slept in and the two steaming cups in her hands. She carefully shuffled over to him and sat down at the edge of the bed next to his feet.

Holding out a cup, she offered, "Tea?"

He took it wordlessly and sipped it. It was sweet and very fragrant, and his nose wrinkled a little.

Rin watched him from the rim of her cup. She said apologetically, "Sorry, Ayame-chan only has exotic teas in the cabinets. She's not much of plain green tea kind of girl."

"It's fine," InuYasha grunted as he continued to drink. His mind was filled with questions but at least he was at ease, knowing that Rin did not run again. He berated his foolishness to think that she would do such thing a second time. It wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go. She made it clear that she did not want to return to Japan anymore. Where else could she have gone?

A name immediately clicked into place and suddenly, the tea did not taste very well.

Sesshomaru, that bastard. Just what did he think he was doing?

As a sneer appeared on InuYasha's face, Rin wondered quietly what was upsetting him so early in the morning.

The moment she woke up, Rin had a hard time debating with whether to leave or not. InuYasha inadvertently spooned her in his sleep, with his breath puffing at her neck and a leg thrown over hers. She knew that there were times when he was a light sleeper and others when he was not. And she did not want to embarrass her or him if she woke him up by moving out of his embrace. It felt like a dream, and she was afraid that the minute she moved, it would dissolve and force her back to reality where he broke her heart. But deep inside, something whispered to her that it wasn't right and that it didn't feel right even if she wanted it to be.

With the night's happenings still fresh in her head, the brunette woman couldn't help but understand that her resolve had once more been wavered.

"Last night," InuYasha spoke up, breaking the silence. He stopped there, unsure of how to tell her of what he was feeling about it. Why did he kiss her? More importantly, why did she kiss him back?

"It was unexpected and we were both," Rin thought carefully, "We were both… caught up in the moment."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But… I… Why did you kiss me back?"

She froze and bit her lower lip. Honestly, she did not know the actual reason either. Was it because it was something she longed for and finally had the chance to attain it? Did she do it because it might have been the only chance she could have so that she would not regret it? Did she regret it? None of the answers to those questions sounded right.

"Then why did you kiss me?" Rin countered when she failed to reach a conclusion.

The silver-haired man fell silent. His response was half true. "Because I wanted to."

That made her heart skip a few beats and a long forgotten feeling of high school infatuation clawed its way up again. She offered meekly and somewhat honestly, "I kissed you… because I wanted to let you know that I still care. About you. I didn't like to see you that way, hurt."

His shoulders initially stiffened but relaxed after a few moments. As he contemplated, Rin tried her hardest not to fidget in fear. She did not want him to take her words the wrong way, but inside, she knew that there were many ways to interpret her answer.

His hands flexed on his lap, the cup of tea settled on her nightstand. As the minutes stretched on with the silence between them, she wondered if she should stop pussyfooting around the issue of her seemingly fickle heart. Repeatedly, she had told InuYasha that she wanted to stay here and in turn hurt him. Now all of a sudden, when things seemed to work in her favor, she felt her heart sway. She wanted to berate herself for her weakness with love.

Sesshomaru. InuYasha. Both, she had feelings for. One hand carried a budding and soothing but mysterious attraction. The other held a teasing and spontaneous but deep fondness. One only existed in her new world and the other only in her old home. Who did she want to stay with more? A man who easily eased in to her life but had more secrets than she could count or a man who escaped her at every corner but bared his soul to her without a fault?

Rin looked over at her best friend of many years, her secret love of many years, and searched hopefully for a clue that would direct her out of this maze.

Eventually, InuYasha said quietly, "I didn't kiss you because of the news about Kagome. But I also didn't kiss you to force you to come back with me."

The corners of her brown eyes softened as she watched him struggle to sort his feelings. InuYasha, ever since his childhood, had trouble expressing himself emotionally even to his mother. He had a temper and was stubborn, and most of the time, he held back that softer and more vulnerable side in order to remain strong and bear the discrimination of his race.

No, there was no easy way out. And only she could forge the way, without Sesshomaru or InuYasha imposing their feelings and thoughts upon her.

Rin lifted her one of hand from her lap and placed it on top of InuYasha's clenched fists. Startled amber eyes locked gazes with resolute brown eyes. His hand relaxed and turned over to gently capture her smaller and slender hand.

Her warm squeeze gave him some assurance when she finally said, "One week. Give me one week, and I will give you my final decision. By then, I will tell you if I stay here or if I go home, to Japan with you. And you have to respect that, InuYasha. For me, and for you."

InuYasha stared long and hard at her, trying to find some hesitation, some emotional waver that he could grasp onto and perhaps use to persuade her more. There was none. It would be a gamble.

Was he prepared to take the risk? After all that he placed on the line? He chased a girl half way across the world after hurting another, declared his feelings for her, fought with his accursed half-brother, and even kissed her. And it was all in the name to bring her back to his side, with him to Japan, their home.

There was probably nothing else that he could do. But at least this risk, he could see it through till the end. Until the very last second, he still had a chance to show her that he was sincere and hope that it was enough for her.

"One week. I'll wait for your answer," InuYasha replied cautiously after a long pause. He measured her reaction.

Rin nodded. "Un!"

* * *

"Mou, I can't believe I still can't find him," Kagome muttered tiredly to herself as she walked down the busy street. She paid very little attention to her surroundings, keeping her eyes fixed on the foot or two of sidewalk in front of her. "I know New York is big, but he has to be nearby. I just know it."

Her determination dimmed. Did she really know it? Or was it just a last hopeful attempt to think that somehow, InuYasha still loved her? She couldn't get rid of the look he gave her when he told her that it was a mistake between the both of them. It broke her heart yet set an inner fire at the same time.

How could he say that to her when they were both so happily waiting to get married? Didn't they share their own difficulties during their relationship? Her grandfather had been adamant of her dating him since he was a hanyou. It took some convincing that InuYasha was a good man, worthy of being by her side. He proved himself to her family, despite his gruff and seemingly nonchalant demeanor. His earnest effort touched her deeply, and she knew that he would not treat her wrong. He was the one who she was willing to spend the rest of her life with because she knew that they could make it through anything.

At least, that was what she thought. Until she saw the way he broke when his best friend Rin left his side. It would be untrue if she said that she did not despise Rin at the moment.

Kagome noticed during the times that InuYasha spoke of Rin, there was a gleam present. It was affectionate, not the way that he looked at her, but it contained something that made her question his love for his friend and his love for her.

Did he realize the look in his eyes every time that he talked about the other woman? Maybe he saw it too late, and now, it drew them all here to New York, one chasing the other. Even if he knew now, did Rin know of InuYasha's feelings for her?

The woman feared the answer to that question. A pit grew in her stomach as she lingered on that train of thought.

It was possible, she cautiously speculated, that she knew nothing of it. From their few meetings, InuYasha had been nothing more than friendly with Rin. He displayed no romantic actions and was constantly at her side. Yet it was just as possible that Rin did know of his feelings. She and InuYasha could have been madly in love with each other and she, the sudden fiancée, was just a casual third wheel in the mess of things. Whichever the case, Rin now had InuYasha completely in her hands, Kagome thought bitterly. How could he so easily slip through her fingers? Weren't they in love?

She bit back the onrush of emotions as she suddenly recalled the happy and enjoyable times they had. She really wanted him back with her. It was an empty feeling that he left her with.

Didn't he care how she would feel? How could he so callously drop her and everything they were going to have together and come here to find another woman? Didn't he promise himself to her by asking her to marry him? Was he always this fickle at the heart? Or did that Rin somehow poisoned him after he introduced them to each other?

Kagome clenched her fist and forced herself to stomp down the disgusting and ugly taste of her thoughts. It was no time for meaningless ponderings. It could affect her judgment and possibly ruin her last chance of happiness with InuYasha. No, she was here to get InuYasha back, and show him that she was the one for him.

Lifting her head, she allowed her newly determined eyes to sweep the ever moving crowd on the street. Heads of various colors bobbled at eyelevel, yet none of them were the one she was looking for. The sunlight suddenly blinded her. Shielding her eyes, she had to blink away the sun dots in her vision. As she did so, a glimpse of silver appeared at the corner of her eyes.

Gasping, Kagome quickly turned on her heel, ignoring the disgruntled looks from other pedestrians for her abrupt shift in direction, as her dark eyes flew across the street. Frantically, her eyes searched for that silver head she swore she saw from the corner of her eyes and found it.

Kagome felt her heart leap to her throat and her fists clenched by her sides. After all her searching, she finally found him. But he was walking in the opposite direction from where she was going.

Struggling through the opposing crowd, Kagome called out loudly, hopping that he could hear her. "InuYasha! InuYasha!"

"INUYASHA!" She broke free of the crowd and slipped on the curb. Letting out a shocked squeak, she almost face planted to the ground when someone suddenly grabbed her by the upper arm.

* * *

"InuYasha!"

Immediately, InuYasha paused in mid-step and his triangular ears twitched. He turned his head in all directions, wondering just where it was coming from. Though there was a chance that he was imaging it, he was sure that there was someone who called out his name.

There were only three people that he knew here in New York. The first was his half-brother, who would never, ever call him by name. The next person was Rin, and he just left her at her apartment, which meant that the chance of it being her was unlikely. The last person was Kagome…

His heart clenched at the thought of the woman he left back in Japan suddenly. Seeing her with Sesshomaru was shocking and still, he did not know how to react. Despite that, he was sure that she was looking for him. If not for yelling at him for leaving her without a word, then for telling her that he might have made a mistake in asking her to marry him.

But what was the chance that she would be here, in the same area as him? When New York was so big? It had taken him so long just to find Rin, and now for Kagome to possibly find him was absurd. His eyes scanned once more, losing in the many people within his surroundings. Cars also flew by, sometimes noisily as horns were honked. Scenting her out was impossible when there were so many bodies with different scents. His eyes and ears, however, could only do so much to cover such an expanse.

"INUYASHA!"

His bright amber eyes widened. His head swiveled, ears and eyes finally pinpointing the direction in which the cry came from. It was Kagome! She was really here!

His body instinctively reacted as she tripped on the edge of the sidewalk and was in the process of falling into the swift traffic. Barely a few steps in her direction, InuYasha stopped in mid jump as she was pulled into the safety of the crowd again.

His eyes narrowed as he traced the hand back up to the face of her rescuer.

Sesshomaru.

From his place, he watched as they exchanged words. Kagome was abashed but flushed as well. From what, he couldn't tell. Sesshomaru looked almost bored until a sudden flicker of interest passed through his face. They talked for a while longer, with Kagome insisting something by grabbing onto the sleeve of Sesshomaru's shirt and Sesshomaru speaking calmly to her, pulling his clothing out of her grasp. She appeared stunned at his words.

He continued to observe as Sesshomaru walked away and Kagome stood there for a few moments before taking off in the same direction as his older stepbrother. Something unpleasant rose from his stomach and he forced it down with a swallow. Wherever they were going, it seemed that they were going together.

Seeing them being so familiar with each other unsettled his calm exterior and he couldn't help but growl lowly. So it was true.

Sesshomaru and Kagome were together.

* * *

"Rin-chan?" Ayame poked her head through the door left ajar.

Rin lifted her head from her knees. "What is it, Ayame-chan?"

"Can I come in?" the wolf demon asked as she pushed the door to open wider. The human woman nodded and the redhead approached the bed, sitting on it gingerly.

"How are you feeling?" Ayame asked softly.

The brunette managed a weak tilt of her lips. "Like my head is going to split in half. The life in New York is certainly an experience."

The other woman hummed neutrally. "Well, I hope you'll be able to solve your dilemma soon. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be over at Kouga's place. I thought that some space and time alone would help you sort things out."

"Thanks, Ayame-chan," Rin answered. "But you really don't have to. I don't mind having you around."

"I know, but Kouga's also been getting angsty about my lack of sleepovers at his place. You know how he gets," Ayame said, hoping to add some amusement into the somber morning for Rin.

It brought a slightly wider smile to Rin's lips. "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you all to myself. Kouga-kun probably was just jealous. Let him know that I'm only loaning you out to him. He has to pay me back later."

"Definitely. And with interest too!" Ayame giggled. "Alright, I should head over. I promised to help him pick out a new couch for his living room. Apparently the dog got overenthusiastic and mauled one of the cushions."

"Yeah, I'll see you soon then," Rin stated. "Have fun."

"See you!" the ookami youkai petted Rin's foot and made her way out of the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Rin released a breath and continued to stare at the ceiling.

Why was her life suddenly so complicated? All she wanted was a happily-ever-after, like the beautiful endings that she gave her heroes and heroines. Then again, living a fairytale was nothing compared to living in reality.

She mused on her own feelings. Why was she swayed so easily? Why did she give in? Didn't she promise herself that she would remain firm in her decision? Perhaps her promises to herself were no more than lies. She lacked the will to see things through to the end.

She was running away again, always looking for the easy way out of things. Why was she such a coward? Why was she so indecisive? Why were matters of the heart so difficult to settle?

Sighing, Rin rolled over to her side and the crunch of paper startled her. Looking down at her side, she saw the creased papers from last night. The ones that InuYasha reportedly told her that Sesshomaru was doing more than a simple background check on her. She frowned.

What was his purpose to look so deeply into her life? Did he not trust her or anything? Was he suspecting her of something?

Regardless of the answer, the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Cocking her head to the side, Rin waited. Maybe it was Kouga. Ayame would have the keys to the door.

The doorbell rang again, now prompting her out of bed and to the front door. Did Ayame forget her keys then? It chimed again and in her haste, Rin cried out loudly, "Coming!"

Undoing the locks without bothering to look through the peephole, Rin pulled open the door and came face to face with a crisp shirt and tie. Freezing on the spot, she allowed her brown eyes to travel upward and met with cool amber eyes.

They were so similar yet so different at the same time.

"Hello Rin," Sesshomaru greeted quietly. "May I come in?"

* * *

**AN:** Wow, can this be anymore cliché… Such craziness. Hopefully, this drama will conclude in seven more chapters. I am starting to run out of patience with the ideas I had planned out for this story. It is getting longer and longer as I go. I'm losing track of the initial plan.

But thank you to my readers~! Your support and love is fueling my desire to finish this! So please read and review!


	19. Chapitre 19

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

Chapitre Dix-Neuf,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

After tailing Sesshomaru for a few blocks, she lost sight of him. Kagome sighed in frustration and turned tail, retracing her steps back toward where she came from. How could she lose sight of someone as tall and out of place as he? It just made no sense!

Regardless, she was surprised to find that he narrowly saved her from being killed in the busy traffic of New York. Of all the people, she least expected him to do so especially when he expressed such disinterest in her search for InuYasha. It puzzled her as to why he was there in the first place since she was sure that he went to work earlier in the morning. Either way, he saved her and when she went to thank him, she only got rebuffed by his words.

"_Watch yourself human. I don't have time to babysit you." Sesshomaru stared down at her and dropped her arm as if it were hot coal._

_Kagome gaped at him. "W-What? I was going to thank you but it seems that it's going to be wasted anyway!"_

_He remained unfazed by her words and stated. "Enough. Do not expect me to help you again."_

"_Don't expect me to come ask for it. But wait, aren't you supposed to be at work?" She held back the urge to stick her tongue out at him and instead looked at him curiously._

"_Hmph. It's none of your business where I am. Are you not looking for that half-breed?" Sesshomaru took a step to the side and started walking away from the spot. _

"_He's probably still thinking about Rin," Kagome muttered and moved to walk in the other way but stopped when he turned to face her once more._

"_Rin," he repeated contemplatively as his eyes narrowed slightly._

_She gave him a curious tilt of her head before it clicked. "That's right! You should know Rin! Does that mean you're going to see her now?"_

_She ignored his glare of growing annoyance. "Go look for your missing fiancé. I am not here to entertain your whims."_

"_You are looking for her!" Kagome declared after a short time examining his expression. Men, though a mystery at times, were not too hard to read. Especially when one had InuYasha as a partner. Speaking of which, wouldn't it be better if she sought out Rin directly? Once she got her message through the other girl, then InuYasha would be bound to come back to her side._

_She looked up and found Sesshomaru to have walked across the street. Her heart jumped to her throat as she quickly ran after him._

Kagome fumed once more at the condescending tone he took with her. It was only because she was Izayoi-san's guest that she held her tongue back from furthering that argument. If she weren't staying at his home, she was sure that she would have gotten in some trouble with the lines she had in mind at the time. Shaking her head clear of the irritation, she tried to regain her focus.

So, she managed to finally catch a glimpse of InuYasha. But the thing was, after her little incident, he was no longer within her sight. He had disappeared and now, she had to start all over again. Looking back, she felt extremely stupid. She finally had her chance to reunite with InuYasha, yet she let it slip away at the thought of having a direct confrontation with Rin. The thought of seeing the other woman made her fingers itch.

Biting her inner cheek, Kagome exhaled and felt a pang of disappointment. How did it turn out to be this way? When did she become so ugly on the inside? All for one man, was it worth it?

She looked out into the sparse crowd. There were a few people walking about the side street, away from the busy bustle of the main road. Her blue eyes roved right and left, hoping to seek out the familiar silver head with triangular ears. If it was fate, then she was soon to find him again, right?

"InuYasha, where are you?" she whispered forlornly.

"Keh, what are you doing here?"

A shock jolted through her at the familiar voice. Kagome turned her head frantically in search of the person the voice belonged to. She felt her eyes sting when they landed on the figure standing not too far from her on her right. With a muted cry, she ran and threw her arms around his midsection.

"I've missed you. So, so much," she told him with her eyes closed. A trickle of tear slipped from the corner of her eyes. But her heart dropped when she couldn't feel InuYasha's arm come around her body. She pulled back a little and looked at him. "InuYasha?"

"Go home, Kagome," InuYasha told her curtly. "You shouldn't even be here in the first place."

"And why not? Is it wrong for me to come find my fiancé?" she asked, deeply afraid on the inside of his answer. It couldn't be possible that she already lost him, could it? "Also, shouldn't it be you who shouldn't be here? Why are you in New York anyway?"

InuYasha said nothing as he stared to the side, evading her dismayed expression at the lack of a response. Finally she pulled away completely, distancing them so that she could look at him directly.

Kagome felt numb. She was finally giving him a chance to explain himself and yet he chose to stay mum? She asked hopelessly, "Why aren't you saying anything? No, why can't you tell me anything anymore? What happened between us, InuYasha?"

"You won't understand, no matter how I try to explain it to you," he tried to say calmly, but it came out in an irritated tone. "It is something I have to settle between Rin and myself. It's best if you don't get involved."

"I don't understand because you don't try to tell me! But I want to know!" she insisted as she reached out to grab his arm. "I want to help you!"

"I don't need your help in this, Kagome!" InuYasha told her as he pulled his arm away from her grasp. "Just… go home. You're better off without me."

Her blue eyes narrowed at him. She dropped all pretenses and stopped allowing him the chance to fully give her the truth. He didn't want to tell her anyway, so why bother. "Do you know what you're saying anymore? I'm better off without you? Are you kidding me? Or is it that you feel like Rin is a better replacement for me?"

"Don't drag Rin into this!" he hissed.

"She's the one who is causing us all this trouble!" she replied hotly. "If it weren't for her, you and I would still be together and happy in Japan! Not halfway across the world yelling at each other!"

InuYasha brushed aside her words. "I already told you that it would be better if we didn't see each other anymore, did I? And it seems like you seriously took my words to heart. So you can stop pretending to come after me and go back to him."

"W-What? I'm here because I still want to be with you! I don't want you to push me away!" she told him forcibly. "And him? Who are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Kagome. I didn't want to believe it when I saw it on the news, but after witnessing it with my own eyes, it's hard not to see it as the truth," he countered.

Kagome clenched her hands at her side. What was he accusing her of anyway? He was making no sense! "What news? Just what are you trying to get at, InuYasha!"

The hanyou gave her a skeptical look of disbelief. "You're going to deny that you're not with Sesshomaru then? Even after what happened back there?"

Finally things fell into place and she felt as if a bucket of cold water was dumped on her. "Sesshomaru? Are you serious? He was just being a good guy and save me from getting killed!"

"Feh." This time, InuYasha gave her his full attention. "Then what about you? It's all over the news, showing you going in and out of his house! I might not be close to him, but I know well enough that Sesshomaru doesn't just let anyone into his home."

"No! InuYasha, you have it all wrong!" Kagome argued. It stung to learn that he thought so little of her. Did she ever give him that kind of impression? She had been faithful and nothing else! Why else would she come here with almost no lead whatsoever just to look for him and ask for him to come home with her? "I don't know what you saw on the news. But you have to believe me! There's nothing going on between Sesshomaru and me!"

"It is hard to believe you when I saw it with my own eyes, Kagome," he told her coldly.

"I'm just staying there as a guest!" she hissed. Some people were starting to stare as they passed by them. "Your mother, Izayoi-san, helped me arrange this!"

InuYasha felt his eyes widen slightly. His mother? Why was she suddenly interfering with his decisions? Did she think that he couldn't bring Rin home on his own? That he couldn't use his own ability to set things right?

Kagome felt a sense of hope at his silence. Maybe he was starting to realize the truth! She insisted, "If you don't believe me, I can call Izayoi-san!"

"Enough!" He barked at her. She gasped at the glimmer of hurt in his golden eyes. "Whatever you do is none of my business. And I don't know or care if my mother is involved in this, even if you say that she is. Right now, I'm here only for one reason, and that is to take Rin back home to Japan with me."

The woman gaped at him and stammered. "Y-You don't mean that, right? I came all the way here, to another country just to find you! And you tell me that you're not even going to care?"

The hanyou breathed in from his nose sharply. "Look, Kagome, what happened in the past between us is the past. Just leave me alone until I settle things with Rin. Then maybe we can talk."

She was stunned beyond words. Kagome felt as if the world collapsed completely around her. Her body grew cold as his words finally sunk in and clawed the tender wound in her heart. It gouged the hole open and all she felt was empty and a swirling anger. InuYasha looked at her with a moment of concern, but the light of her eyes dimmed and stared blankly at his face.

Who was this man standing in front her? She no longer recognized him, not for the man that she met and fell in love with after many tribulations. Where was the warmth and security that she sensed from him before? The gruff words of reassurance and the clear honey-golden eyes of honesty were no longer there. It vanished completely from her sight, as if a veil pulled away from her eyes and revealed the ugliness hidden beneath it. Was this truly InuYasha? Or was he just a man, driven _crazy_ by his obsession with this one insignificant woman? The one who dared to stand in between her happiness? Was the happiness shared between him and her just a pretense? Did he lie to her when he told her that he loved her? That he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her?

Trembling, her head dipped to her chest, shielding her eyes. The sting of tears receded as she bit down harshly on her lower lip. No, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of crying in front of him. Not when he tore apart the beautiful feelings and dreams she had. She barely heard him mutter his words of departure and a zing went straight through her.

As he turned to walk away from her, Kagome finally yelled. "InuYasha no baka! I hate you!"

Kagome swiveled on her heel and dashed off blindly. She missed the wide-eyed glance InuYasha had as he watched her go.

* * *

Rin hovered uncertainly in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to re-boil the water that she boiled earlier this morning. Her heart refused to stop beating with anticipation.

When she opened the door to find Sesshomaru on the other side of it, Rin almost had a heart attack. Just what was going on today? First a long and overnight conversation with the younger sibling, and now the older one was going to talk to her. Although Sesshomaru told her that his visit was purely business, she had a lingering doubt in her mind that maybe there was more to it. After all, if it was only to return her manuscript, then why could he not wait till she went to the office? There was no set deadline for her publishing the book, so there shouldn't be a need to rush.

If he wasn't here for business, then it was for something more private, something more personal. After all, they were now alone in the privacy of her home. Suddenly, a memory surfaced.

The searing kiss in the office that he left with her before she went on her small vacation came to mind. A pink spread like fire across her cheeks and she could even feel the heat radiating from her ears. She held back the urge to touch her lips. But then the kiss that she shared with InuYasha flashed before her eyes.

Rin sighed. She was in trouble now, this she knew for sure. When did she let herself become like this? Better yet, why did she kiss InuYasha back? How should she face Sesshomaru and the impending storm?

The shrill whistle of the kettle startled her out of her musings. Turning off the stove, she filled the tea mugs and calmed herself down before walking out to the living room. Sesshomaru was sitting on the couch, hunched over his knees and staring down at the yellow manila packet with her name written on it. He straightened up when he saw her entering the living space.

"I'm sorry, I only have tea," she told him gently as she handed him the seaming mug.

He nodded as he accepted the drink. "Thank you."

The brunette stayed standing and nursed her tea. She stared at him as he drank quietly.

So many questions buzzed in her head, but she just had no idea where to start. Should she start with why he was here? Or maybe ask him about the rumors of his and Kagome's relationship? How about the sheet of personal information that he had on her? Or what about the kiss that he gave her that time?

"I am sorry for intruding on you without earlier notice," Sesshomaru told her, breaking the heavy silence between them. He set his cup down. It was now half-empty. "But I thought it would be best if I delivered the latest corrections to you directly. I did not realize that you would be home from your trip."

"Ah, I came back last night, actually," she said with a weak smile. "And it's okay. I didn't have any plans. I was just going to work on the next chapter a little more before I went to see you in a day or two."

"I did call your phone, but it was directed to your voicemail, hence my decision to make the visit. Furthermore, I thought that if you received your latest edits, you would be more motivated to work on your newest chapters." He looked at her as he spoke. He pushed the folder toward her direction.

Rin was befuddled. Maybe there was a deadline to meet? But then, why didn't she know about it before? Or did she forget? She was pretty sure that she would have remembered something as important as that. She picked up the folder and set down her cup of tea. The pages rustled as she flipped through it.

She bowed her head, clutching the packet to her chest. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, the brunette lifted her head and stared directly at her employer. "I'm really sorry. I didn't realize that I was falling behind on schedule for the chapters. I'll do my best to increase productivity and get my chapters out more quickly to meet the deadline."

The dog demon regarded her for a moment before chuckling a bit. "I believe you misunderstood me, Rin."

"Huh?" Her puzzled look took over her face. "I don't follow."

"I am not trying to push you to work faster. Writing is an art which takes time, and I understand that. I was expressing interest in reading more of your manuscript," he said to her. She saw the way his gold eyes sparked with amusement.

Her shoulders slumped and she sagged into the seat next to him in relief.

"Thank goodness. I was scared that I had forgotten about a deadline for the book to be published." She turned to look at him, a pout appearing at the corner of her lips. "I wish you wouldn't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry. You seemed a little distracted, so I thought perhaps I could lighten your mood. It seems I might have taken it a bit far," he stated as his left hand settled on her knee in a comforting gesture.

Rin felt jittery when his hand closed upon her knee and suppressed a shiver. "It's okay. I had a lot on my mind lately."

Sesshomaru gave her a short silence before lowly offering, "A penny for your thoughts then?"

"It'd be a pretty penny to pay," she said lightly with a smile.

He said nothing but kept gazing at her, waiting for her words patiently. The intensity of his golden eyes made her want to pull back. Immediately, her mind brought forth his kiss once more. It was something so different from what she was used to from her past boyfriends and from the kisses they shared prior to her vacation. Her head then had abandoned all coherencies and the only thing she felt was the fire coursing through her veins. It screamed with all the strange emotions twisting inside of Sesshomaru that she couldn't figure out. She felt intimidated by those feelings and left trembling.

It seemed that he grew weary of her unwillingness to open up and he took the first step to break the awkward cover between them. "Have I scared you, the last time we spoke?"

Rin hesitated visibly but stared at him directly as she answered him. "At that time, I was really confused and I just really needed to be alone. I didn't want to be any more confused than I was, so it was really unexpected. And you were… more aggressive I guess."

As she trailed off, she watched for his reaction. Sesshomaru stiffened at the mention of his actions.

"I will not apologize for something which I do not regret," he told her as he redirected his gaze to the table. "But it was unfair of me to press that upon you at that time. I should have realized that you were troubled yet I chose to ignore it."

She gave him a tight smile. "It's in the past, so let's not talk about it anymore. I'll pretend that it never happened."

"Can you truly say that you will forget something like that so easily?" he asked her monotonously as he felt suddenly disturbed by her words. "Was I so frightening that you chose to erase that moment in time? Or did it perhaps break the fantasy image you had of me?"

Rin was surprised at his questions. She didn't think that he would be bothered by her statement. At the same time, she wasn't sure how to respond. It was true, she did see a side of him that was different compared to the business man at his office or the suitor during their dates. Could she honestly tell him that she wasn't shocked by the ferocity of his kiss or his passion?

Finding no answer, she tried to break away from the conversation. Standing up from her seat, Rin reached to grab the cups from the table tops. "Let me refill your tea for you."

His hand darted out before she could blink and clasped tightly onto her outstretched arm. Holding back a startled yelp, the woman looked wide-eyed at the man. She watched as he stood up slowly, almost in a predatory fashion. There was a spark in his eye, the same kind she saw when they were in his office last.

He leaned in while holding her gaze. She stood her ground and asked, "Is there something wrong, Sesshomaru?"

"Are you running away, Rin?" He questioned her. Rin felt her heart skip a beat and wanted nothing more than to turn away from him. But she stopped as she recalled her decision. It was time that she settled the complicated situation she created with her own hands. She could only come clean about her matters with InuYasha and Sesshomaru. If she dragged this on for much longer, things would only get worse.

"No," she replied cautiously. "I don't want to run away anymore. I want to tell you some things, but it will take a while. Can you let me gather my thoughts while I fix us more tea?"

Sesshomaru pondered shortly on her words. "I have a feeling that you also have questions you want to ask me, is that right?"

She nodded. "Yes, there are things I also want to know about you. Will you tell me?"

He released her from his grip. "Very well."

Rin gave him a lighter smile this time and she went to the kitchen to warm up the kettle.

* * *

The few moments that she took to prepare the tea, Sesshomaru wondered on the questions that she might ask him. He knew that one of them was about the newest piece of gossip revolving around him and InuYasha's fiancée. But what did she have to tell him that he did not already know?

It was clear to him that she had seen InuYasha before he came, since the hanyou's scent lingered in the apartment and on her body. It irritated him on various levels. He did not appreciate the way that she was affected by the half-demon. It not only thwarted him from his plans but it seemed to draw her further away from him. The more she came in contact with InuYasha, the more troubles seemed to pile upon her. Yet she was not blameless. It only happened because of her want of a relationship with InuYasha.

Sesshomaru could not fathom her reasons to be with that lowly demon. From what he understood, InuYasha had already promised himself to another and he should have no right to pursue Rin. Even so, he came looking for her and she did not have the heart to turn him away. She still yearned for InuYasha's presence. But he was sure that she could easily forget about him, if she wanted.

Wouldn't it be better that way for her? With InuYasha out of the picture, she could redirect her focus elsewhere, whether it is her upcoming story or her friends. Anything was better than having her head filled meaninglessly with that hanyou's presence. Didn't she realize that if she were willing to set that hanyou aside, she would be worry free?

His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he remembered his father's words once more.

The mention of the burden, equivalent to the world, could it really be something as frivolous as 'love'? Was that the treasure he was told to find by his father?

Since when did he lose his ability to control his feelings around those around him? Especially around this small woman, who came into his life barely half a year ago? It was true that he entertained Sara's one-sided love and even went as far as asking for her hand. But he was partially motivated by gaining another strong asset to his side. With a business tycoon such as her father as his ally, he would have deeper reaches in the publishing world and have more control over the selling prices to the local and brand name bookstores. That was not to say that Sara did not have her own charms. She was well-educated and they had amicable and meaningful conversations. He did not mind her company but he did not experience the same feelings of want to be near her as he did with Rin.

By why? What is it about her that drew out this new desire within him? He thought his interest in her revolved solely on the words of his father because they nagged him for the longest of time. Now he was given the chance to find closure and he wanted to seize the hidden treasure that was meant to be his. But he was slowly losing his grasp on it, all because of InuYasha. He did not want her to slip away from him. Was this the greed for the so called treasure?

Or was it something else?

"Sesshomaru?" Rin set down the tea. She peered up at the taller man.

"Rin," he intoned with a twinge of silent frustration. "Why do you continue to seek out InuYasha?"

Her expression became somber. Was this how it was going to start? Fine, it was time that everything was out in the open. Maybe it would make it lighter on her heart and easier for her to make her final decision. She began to recount the critical details, hoping that Sesshomaru would not interrupt her as she did so. "Between InuYasha and me, things have gotten extremely complicated to the point I can't tell the difference between truth and lies. He's told me things that I thought would make me happy, like I wanted to in the past, but now I'm becoming more doubtful and scared. He told me that he broke off the engagement with his fiancée, Kagome-san, and that he was actually in love with me. Part of me was happy, but it was a brief happiness, because I realized that now he had hurt Kagome-san. And even though he said he didn't care for her anymore, when he saw her on television, he was also hurt and I didn't know how to console him."

"Then what about the matters between you and me? You say that with InuYasha, you are no longer sure of your feelings. Do you doubt and fear me as well?" Sesshomaru asked her as he continued to stare down at her.

Rin looked down at their feet, unable to speak her thoughts to him as he looked at her with such intensity in her eyes. "You've been there for me when I needed someone to listen to me, and I really enjoyed the time we spent together. With you, I felt comfortable yet I keep thinking I should be more guarded. There are so many things that I don't know about you, but I feel that you know more things about me than I do. It is different when I am with you. I don't fear you, but I do want to no longer doubt you."

"And what is it that you doubt me for?" He could already predict the question, but asked so anyway to make it easier for her to continue.

"Right now, there are two things that I want you to explain to me. The first thing is the news about you and Kagome." Her dark brown eyes lifted up to his face. "I don't want to believe the news, but they have proof of Kagome-san coming and going from your home."

She held back the fact that even she had not gone to his house before, yet InuYasha's former finacée, a person that Rin believe that Sesshomaru never knew, now appeared to be living there.

"You want to know why she has been seen at my home," Sesshomaru stated. "Very well. I only allowed her to stay at my house while she looks for InuYasha, at the request of his mother. There have been no interactions or relations between us."

"Izayoi-baa-san?" Rin murmured. Things fell easily into place. That was right. Since she was Sesshomaru's step-mother, it was only reasonable that she asked him to offer Kagome-san a place to stay. Did that mean Izayoi-baa-san encouraged Kagome-san to be with InuYasha?

Sesshomaru nodded. Assuming that matter was set aside, he prodded her with another question. "Is there anything else that you would like to ask?"

"I'll trust you about Kagome-san because of Izayoi-baa-chan. Before I ask you about the next thing, I want you to first promise me that you will not lie or hold back anything when you answer me." A determined gleam told the inuyoukai that she would not back off on that request. He did not think that it would do any harm.

"I promise," he stated. Rin's lip thinned and she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. Sesshomaru took it from her when she held it out to him. He veiled his shock as he looked it over.

"Then can you tell me what this is about? I know you said that you wanted to a background check, but isn't this a little overboard?" Her tone betrayed her hurt and suspicions.

He was sure that this information was kept at his home and he knew that Rin had not been there before. Jaken would not be that careless to have made an extra copy. "How did you get this?"

"It doesn't matter how I got it, I just want to know why you needed to even research my parents and their own backgrounds. Are you hiding something from me? Is what InuYasha said true? That you have something against me?" Rin stared defiantly at him. "Is that why you suddenly have an interest in me?"

Sesshomaru snorted. "Is that how little you think of me? But since I have promised you, I will not lie to you. It is true. At the start, I was following procedures with the background check, but when I learned that you come from a unique lineage, I grew to be more curious and delved deeper. But now, I realize what it is that I was looking for."

Rin swallowed dryly. "And what is that?"

A smirk formed on his lips and he tilted her chin with a hand. A breathless gasp escaped her lips before he kissed her. Her eyes slid shut when he guided her closer to him with a hand on her waist and she steadied herself with her hands on his chest.

When he pulled away, Sesshomaru watched as breathed in deeply with her eyes still closed. When she opened them, he couldn't prevent the swell of pride within at her glazed eyes. He could tell that she no longer thought about that half-breed. He whispered words across her lips. "Do you still doubt me, Rin?"

"I-I, no," She couldn't stop the stuttering especially from the way he was currently boring down at her with his eyes. Rin tried to gather her wits and recalled the promise she made to InuYasha. She quickly took a step back and tried to clear her head of the muddle that his kiss lured her into. "I have one last thing to tell you."

"What is it?" The dog demon dropped his hands back to his side as she detached from him.

She licked her lower lip and told him plainly. "I told InuYasha that I will make my final decision a week after today. So no matter what happens, I want you to respect that and you will be the first person I tell before I tell him."

Sesshomaru inclined his head. "I understand. Then will you allow me to bring you to an art gala opening Thursday evening?"

"But!" Rin frowned as she thought about his offer.

He held up a hand, thus paused her words. He expected such protest from her. "You did not say that you cannot meet with me when you are in the process of making your decision."

She hesitated and he watched her as she struggled inwardly.

"No," the brunette finally said with a shake of her head. "I'll have to decline this time. It won't be fair to InuYasha. I don't think he will be coming to look for me while I try to figure things out. So I don't want your influence to be greater than his. I hope you understand."

The line that he drew between them disappointed him but he brushed it off. "You do not have to reply so early. Please give it some more thought and let me know again Thursday afternoon if you will be available. Otherwise, I am sure we will see each other in a week. I look forward to hearing from you."

"Then, I'll make sure that I'll call you, I promise. Thank you, Sesshomaru."

* * *

The sun had almost set by the time she managed to find her way back to Sesshomaru's home. Even though she was physically exhausted, her mind was finding no time to rest. Dropping her bag by the foot of her bed, she fell back onto the soft mattress eagle-spread.

There had to be a way she could come into contact with Rin. Didn't InuYasha mention that Rin was trying to publish under Sesshomaru's company? Kagome mulled on that thought. If Rin was now under Sesshomaru's company, then she could always ask Sesshomaru for her information. There wasn't anything suspicious about it if she told him that she was Rin's friend. Or that InuYasha pleaded to her to speak to Rin on his behalf. Yes, that sounded pretty logical.

Then a frown appeared on her lips. But after this morning, she definitely felt less than friendly with the inuyoukai. So, it didn't seem likely that they would be on good speaking terms. Who else could she ask?

Sighing, Kagome stood up from her bed and went to the kitchen. Maybe she should think about this after a glass of water. Nice and cold water with plenty of ice. As she stepped into the kitchen, Jaken was muttering nonsense to himself about closets and balconies. She gave him a side glance and decided against speaking to him too. He didn't seem to be in a pleasant mood at the moment.

Carefully taking a glass out of the cabinet and fiddling with the refrigerator, Kagome was soon taking small sips of water. The ice clinked noisy against the side of the cup as she swirled the glass of water idly in her hands. Taking a second glance at Jaken, who now moved onto to furiously scrubbing the granite countertop, she came to a realization.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Jaken-san," she started off cautiously, testing the waters. She didn't need him blowing up at her face if he was seriously in a bad mood.

He shot her an irritated glare. Then he squawked shrilly, "What!"

"Mou, you think he'd be nicer to those who are bigger than him," Kagome muttered under her breath before smiling in false cheerfulness. "I was wondering if you met Seijun Rin! I heard that she is trying to become an author under Sesshomaru-san's company."

"That little human?" he harrumphed with his arms crossed. "I don't know what Sesshomaru-sama sees in her. I think her book isn't that great. But what of her?"

At his suspecting look, she laughed lightly. "Well, she was pretty popular in Japan. And she happened to be a friend of mine, but I lost her number and address when coming here to New York. I thought that maybe she could help me find InuYasha."

The toad demon didn't look convinced, so she added, "And the quicker I find InuYasha, the earlier I can return to Japan. I really don't want to trouble you or Sesshomaru-san any longer than necessary."

The dark-haired woman inwardly relaxed when she noticed that Jaken seemed to mollify at her words. He stared at her with his large bulbous eyes for a few moments longer and she could only smile weakly in return. Maybe her words weren't enough?

Suddenly, he huffed, "Very well. I will give you her phone number. But don't you let Sesshomaru-sama know! He'll have your head and mine!"

"Of course," Kagome nodded. "Thank you, Jaken-san!"

As Jaken waddled away to grab the information from Sesshomaru's study, Kagome sighed out in relief and drank the rest of the water in her glass. By the time she finished rinsing out the cup, the small imp came back with a yellow sticky note in his hand.

"Here!" he said. Kagome took it from him and read the number. It seemed authentic. He reminded her with his voice lowered ominously. "Remember, you say one word, and you're dead!"

"Hai, I understand," she told him. "Thank you again, Jaken-san!"

Once more, Jaken grumbled under his breath, this time about bossy women and incompetent humans. She waited until she was sure that he was no longer loitering about the hallway before she made her way back to the guestroom she was staying in.

Even though she did not purchase a cell phone when she arrived, she was somewhat grateful for the land phone connected in her room. Setting down on her bed, Kagome stared at the note just a while longer.

Was she doing the right thing by calling Rin? Usually, Kagome would do her best to not mind the matters of others, but this time, it did involve her to a great degree. Especially, since it affected her future and her happiness. Right now, InuYasha was completely enraptured and determined to convince Rin to return back to their motherland. Even to the point that he was willing to break off their engagement and turn a cold shoulder to her. It was completely unfair of him to do so.

And Rin, Kagome was sure now that the other woman knew of InuYasha's feelings for her. She was also sure that Rin had some attachment to InuYasha, the kind which surpassed those of best friends. She wondered about the irony—to fall in love with one's best friend, it was almost laughable.

Especially since that best friend happened to be her own love-of-her-life. Taking a deep breath, Kagome steeled her resolve. She would fight back to get back what was rightfully hers, even if it meant that the other party would be hurt in the process. Who said that all was fair in love and war?

Kagome picked up the phone and began to slowly dial the number scribbled on the post-it note. It rang once, twice, and finally the click from the other side.

"_Hello?"_

The familiar voice caused Kagome to stiffen just a bit. But she composed herself and spoke courteously into the receiver. "Hello? May I speak to Rin-san please?"

"_This is Rin. May I know who is calling?"_

"Rin-chan? This is Kagome, InuYasha's fiancée. We met a few months ago?" Kagome said calmly, brushing aside all formalities. She heard a sharp intake of breath from the other side of the line.

"_Oh, Kagome-san, yes… How are you?"_

The woman sat up straighter on her bed, staring directly at the small mirror mounted on the wall across from her. "I'm well. And you?"

"_Ah, well, I'm doing well. Thanks. Uhm, can I ask why you're calling me?"_

She felt a slight elation from the cautious tone from Rin's voice. As casually as possible, Kagome answered, "Well, I'm actually in New York right now and InuYasha told me that you were also here. So I thought I'd give you a call. It'd be really great if we can spend some girl time together. You know, to get to know each other better."

"_Oh, well… I'm kind of busy right now…"_

As the other woman trailed off, Kagome quickly injected, "It doesn't have to be today. How about tomorrow afternoon? We can meet up at a small café and chat there. I know there's a cute one at the corner of 4th and 15th. How about that?"

A short pause made Kagome pray fervently that Rin would not decline._ "…Okay. I think I can be free around 1 PM tomorrow."_

Kagome felt her lips widen. "Great! I can't wait to see you! I have so many things to ask and tell you! Till tomorrow then!"

"_Yes, I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodbye, Kagome-san."_

* * *

**AN:** I really hope that I can end everything soon. This is getting really long winded, so I am thinking the next chapter will start the falling action of the story. After that, it won't be long before the story closes.

Many thanks to **tsukimori kuchiki, Guest, icecreamapparition, **and **xYuzuki17x** for your reviews and to my readers. Your support and love is fueling my desire to finish this! So please read and review!


	20. Chapitre 20

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

**-.-**

Chapitre Vingt,

By Winterwing3000

**-.-**

Kagome smiled at the waitress who came by with a tall glass of iced raspberry lemonade and said thanks.

She arrived early to the café that she and Rin promised to meet. During the night, she slept restlessly as variations of the upcoming conversation cycled through her mind. She wondered if the conversation would escalate to an argument, or perhaps a fight. She wondered just how deep she could dig into Rin's thoughts and heart to find out just how important InuYasha was to her. She wondered if she would be happy to learn of that information. She wondered what she should do next after knowing Rin's feelings.

Should she stay out of the way? Should she just acknowledge that she lost InuYasha to Rin? Should she just give up and go home? Or should she convince Rin that InuYasha was led astray by her sudden disappearance? Should she tell Rin that she was the one who loved InuYasha the most?

Biting down on her straw harder than usual, Kagome casted the thoughts aside. No, she would deal with that when the time came. Right now, she needed to know just how Rin felt about InuYasha. She needed to know just how deeply his claws pierced her heart.

She checked her watch and it was almost their meeting time. A frown appeared on her face.

Did Rin figure out the actual reason that she was called out? What if she didn't show up? Kagome knew that her time was short. She was scared that sooner or later InuYasha was going to return back to Japan with Rin.

"Kagome-san?"

Disrupted of her inner thoughts, Kagome blinked and nodded. "Rin-chan! Have a seat!"

The brunette smiled and sat down opposite of Kagome. Rin brushed her hand through her wind-blown hair and deposited her umbrella to the floor by her chair. "I'm sorry I'm late. I didn't think that it would be so windy today."

"It's fine. I just got here." Kagome waved over a waitress. "Why don't you get something to drink first?"

As Rin placed her order of mocha latte, Kagome gave the other woman a once over before schooling her face with a pleasant expression. "How have you been doing, Rin-chan?"

"I've been well. How about you Kagome-san? What brought you here to New York?" Rin asked in return, though she already knew the answer. It was best to feign obliviousness first so that she could gauge Kagome's reactions first before she responded. She was sure the last thing this café needed to hear was an argument between two grown women about one man, and there was no doubt in her mind that things were about to become tense.

"Oh, I guess you can say I could have been better," Kagome said airily after a few sips of her lemonade. "I never thought that I'd come to New York when my wedding planning was about to start."

Rin's eyes dropped to the table top as she replied neutrally, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Your mocha latte, Miss." The waitress came back with Rin's coffee. She then asked politely, "Is there anything else I can get either of you?"

"No, thank you," the two answered at the same time. Their server smiled and left them with an 'enjoy'.

An uneasy silence stilled between them as they both wondered if they should speak up first. Rin took a careful drink of the steaming beverage and wiped her upper lip of the foam. Kagome chewed on the tip of her straw and eventually pushed her drink aside.

"Look Rin, I think you already know why I asked you to come meet me today, right?" Kagome looked straight into Rin's eyes, showing her seriousness.

The author willed her heart to beat less strongly as she braced herself for the incoming storm. Steadily, Rin gave her answer in the form of a question. "Does the reason involve InuYasha?"

"It is more than just InuYasha. There is also you, and there is also me," Kagome replied as she swallowed the bitterness of the hanyou's name. "It is a matter that involves the three of us."

"I don't know why you suddenly came to New York, and frankly, it is none of my business what you do," the raven-haired woman stated. Kagome's hands clenched tightly as the upsetting feeling uncoiled in her heart. "But when your decision to come here causes InuYasha to suddenly run away from home and then transform into a person that I've never seen before, to the point that it jeopardizes our engagement, then I will have to make it my business."

Rin stayed silent. She already knew that InuYasha said that he had broken off his engagement with Kagome. And now, she was seeing firsthand how deeply his actions pained Kagome. Indirectly, she ruined a happiness of another person. What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? She knew that apologies would not fix the problem, but she also couldn't defend herself, not when she was still thinking about her own problems.

"While I am sorry about what has happened between you and InuYasha, I won't fully take the blame for it. I never gave InuYasha the impression that I wanted to split the two of you, and I would never wish that to happen if he was truly happy with you," said Rin as she held Kagome's blazing gaze. "I admit that by leaving Japan suddenly might have shaken InuYasha a bit more than I thought it would, but I never told him to come after me. I came here to expand my horizons as a writer."

"Is that really the only reason?" Kagome countered. "I might not know much about how the publishing companies work, but I have seen your books. It isn't as if you were doing poorly as a writer in Japan, Rin. Also, why leave so suddenly and secretively? Only people who feel guilt or pain would run away from their problems."

Rin felt her stomach clench at the words. "I can say that even if I was running away, I am not running anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn't be meeting with you here. And yes, my reason for coming to New York is to be published in the American market. I wanted to bring my stories overseas so that the Japanese literature can spread."

Kagome grew frustrated as the conversation went in circles. She wanted the truth and Rin was not having it. In that case, she could only be as direct as possible. Any sign from Rin to prove her suspicions correct would be enough. "So why else did you run? Were you running from InuYasha, because he found his happiness in me and not you?"

The author felt her lips pull down into a frown and she couldn't help but look away. "Don't think too highly of yourself, Kagome-san."

"I'm right, aren't I?" The raven-haired woman scoffed incredulously. "I can't believe that you can be so petty, Rin. You couldn't genuinely be happy for InuYasha, your childhood friend who loves you deeply, for finding another person to love, so you decided to run to America? Do you know how much hurt you've caused InuYasha? How much hurt you've caused me? And what hurt you might possibly be causing Sesshomaru?"

Immediately Rin locked her eyes on Kagome. "What goes on between me and Sesshomaru is none of your business. Don't you dare accuse me of hurting you! Whatever happened after I came to America is not my fault. You can only blame yourself for not having a stronger hold on InuYasha's heart. Furthermore, I'm not the one who is in the tabloids being written as Sesshomaru's latest conquest. Don't you know how sad and confused InuYasha was because of that?"

"I'm going to say this once, and only once. There is absolutely nothing, I repeat, nothing going on between Sesshomaru and myself. I don't care if you believe me or not, but you'd have to be stupid to think I'm anything like you, Rin," Kagome hissed quietly as the table next to them was filled.

"What are you trying to imply, Kagome-san?" Rin narrowed her eyes.

The other woman leaned in closer with a cool but knowing glint in her eyes. "Don't play innocent, Rin. I am not the woman with two men dangling at my fingertips. You on the other hand I can't say for sure. First InuYasha and now his older brother, too."

Rin froze at the accusation. To hear those words coming from Kagome was unexpected. She promised herself that she was going to make things clear once and for sure. But now, was she just going back on her promise? It made her mind spun.

"You're such a cruel person, Rin. When InuYasha spoke of you, I thought you were a good and decent person. I guess I was wrong, and he might be too." Kagome sat back into her seat and fiddled with her purse before she stood up. Looking down at Rin who was nailed stiffly in her chair, she said, "You don't deserve either one of them."

**-.-**

"What are you doing?!" A shrill squawk came from downstairs. "You can't go-ACK!"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes in annoyance when the scent of their new visitor wafted past his nose. At this particular moment, he did not care for unwelcomed guests, yet it seemed that it was impossible for the small toad demon to handle the hanyou. It wasn't long before the door of his study slammed opened and the shadow of the hallway spilled into the lighted room. InuYasha stood at the doorway.

"You are trespassing, hanyou," the full-fledge demon intoned from behind his desk.

The half-demon crossed his arms across his chest. "Keh, the toad let me in, so I think that's enough of an invitation."

"I haven't the time to babysit you, InuYasha. Either state your business or remove yourself from my home." Sesshomaru glared at the younger man.

"You know fully what I want. I want you to leave Rin alone. I don't care what she says about you. I don't trust you and I don't trust her with you." InuYasha's golden eyes flashed.

The older brother scoffed. "And just who are you to dictate her choice of companions? If I recall, you two are merely friends, nothing more. I do not see your claim on her, which means that whoever she is with does not concern you."

"You didn't claim her either, and don't you dare to," InuYasha retorted with a threatening growl. "She might not mean anything to you, but that is not the same for me. I do not play with her feelings, as you do."

Sesshomaru grunted at the hypocrisy of those words. He could not help but mock, "Yet your little human fiancée came from Japan in search for you, as you so single-mindedly chase after Rin. You should take a look in the mirror to see who the fool is, hanyou."

"You bastard!" InuYasha felt his anger flare as he leaped at Sesshomaru with his claws ready to attack. Materializing in front of his desk, Sesshomaru caught hold of the hanyou's wrist and then spun on the balls of his feet. He used the momentum to throw InuYasha aside.

"I am most certainly not the bastard in this family," he mocked his younger sibling as he slowly tested the buttons to push. "And I have no need to listen to what you have to say if you are only here to bicker like a child. Unlike you, I have a business to run."

"Don't try changing the subject," InuYasha snarled as he stood to his full height. "The only reason why Rin hasn't agreed to leave New York is because of you and your schemes. I don't know what kind of spell you've put on her to make her trust you, but I will show her just how evil you are, Sesshomaru!"

The full demon smirked. "You find it hard to believe that Rin now trusts me more than you? Does it pain you to know that she has moved on from you, InuYasha?"

"You're lying! She still loves me! I know it!" InuYasha declared. "She also knows that you're up to no good. Once she sees you clearly, she'll come home with me. So leave her alone, already Sesshomaru. Surely you don't want all your past deeds to rear their ugly heads, do you?"

"Hoh, and what makes you think you have the advantage in this situation, hanyou?" Sesshomaru said with a voice tinged with sarcasm.

"I know deep down, Rin still loves me because she still smiles for me. Even if she smiles at you, she's going to be more guarded," the half-demon sneered. "She will never fully trust you again, not with your lies to her."

He slammed his fist against his desk as golden eyes narrowed threateningly. "Enough with your nonsense, InuYasha. You waste my time and your breath trying to pick a fight with me. Now leave before I forcibly remove you from my property."

"Then answer my question! I'll never step foot here again once you do! Why are you so drawn to Rin, and why won't you let go of her when you can have any other woman out there?" demanded InuYasha as he took a firm step forward. "Don't you tell me that you fell in love with Rin, you bastard! You know nothing but profit."

Sesshomaru froze as he turned over InuYasha's question in his mind. There was that question again. It frustrated him that he had no answer. Not to Rin, not to InuYasha, and most certainly not to himself. Why was he still pursing Rin when he realized there was no beneficial gain, as InuYasha claimed? He knew that Rin might possibly have fallen in love with him, but did he fall as well? The thought itself was ludicrous, but something sinister whispered in the depths of his mind. Something dark and tempting, yet it was also foreign.

"Just leave, InuYasha," Sesshomaru growled. He could feel the color of his eyes changing because of the onslaught of confusion and emotions within him. The half-demon's incessant questioning only added to his inner turmoil.

InuYasha eyed his older half-brother silently. Normally, he would snort and refuse to listen to Sesshomaru's words, but something told him that he should back down for now. The chances of getting any form of coherent answers from Sesshomaru at the moment were almost zero. It also disturbed him how easily Sesshomaru's cool mask cracked when the questions about Rin were posed. He did not want to think about the reasons for that reaction.

"Keh, fine. But don't think I won't be back," the hanyou shot back defiantly. "Until you leave Rin alone, don't let your guard down. I'll reveal to her what you truly are."

"Out," the full demon gritted between clenched teeth. His hands clenched and his knuckles cracked.

InuYasha grunted and backed to the door before opening it and stepping out to the hall. He didn't bother to close the door because he knew that Sesshomaru wasn't going to follow him. On the inside he was slightly frustrated at the lack of answers from their confrontation but he was also annoyed by what he discovered about Sesshomaru. If the reason why Sesshomaru got angrily so easily was Rin, then this could mean trouble when the time came.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and walked toward the entrance of the house, all while ignoring Jaken's incessant mutterings about his presence and disturbing the peace of the household. The longer he stayed here the more irritated he got by this revelation, so InuYasha picked up the speed to the door, only to see a dark-haired woman closing the metal portal behind her. It was Kagome.

InuYasha watched as Kagome paused to take off her shoes by the front door. As if sensing his stare, Kagome looked up and their eyes connected. A beat later, she turned her gaze away.

The hanyou felt his throat dry as he tried to find the words to say to the woman before him. It appeared that she had the keys to freely enter and leave Sesshomaru's home, and that did not sit well him at all and it made his stomach sink. Even though Kagome told him that she stayed at Sesshomaru's home only because of his mother's insistence, to see how comfortable she was in the house made him wonder if that was really all there was between Kagome and Sesshomaru.

Kagome began to walk in his direction to go past him so that she could return to her room upstairs. InuYasha felt his heart drop when she didn't even try to talk to him. Just before she came close to him, InuYasha cleared his throat and addressed her, "Kagome."

The dark-haired female narrowed her eyes at him but she replied to him stiffly. "InuYasha. I didn't know you would be here."

"Uh, yeah," he answered her awkwardly. He could sense that she really didn't want to talk to him. But why was he suddenly trying to connect with her again? Didn't he tell her that he no longer cared?

"Well, have a good night," she said curtly and efficiently cutting off his train of thought.

The hanyou felt slightly guilty to see how cold Kagome became. She was so different from when they first met—the sparkle in her eye and the warmth of her personality seemed to have vanished after a day. Could he have seriously wounded her feelings? Was this all because of his words and actions toward her?

"Kagome, wait," he blurted out impulsively. The dark-haired woman paused in her journey to the guestroom.

She did not turn back to look at him as she answered. "What is it?"

InuYasha hesitated. He wasn't even sure of what he wanted to say or why he suddenly told her to wait. Still, that weight of guilt hung on his conscience and he wanted to ease it. The only way he could think of was to have her look at him once and tell him that no, her change in personality wasn't really because of him. Yet a gnawing feeling in his gut told him that he would just be severely disappointed because inside he knew he had a great part in her cold treatment toward him.

He asked her the first thing that came to mind. "How much longer are you going to be here?"

Kagome stiffened visibly before turning around fully to face him directly. Her stare was tinged with bridled anger and hurt. Her words were biting as she said them in a low tone. "I don't think what I do and when I do it concerns you anymore, InuYasha. You've made that very clear yesterday. Now, excuse me."

The half-demon watched wordlessly as she disappeared to her temporary bedroom. He frowned and huffed before exiting the home with a quick snap of the door behind him.

Sesshomaru stood in the shadows as Kagome walked past him without even a greeting of sorts. He could smell the faint salty scent in the air as she closed the door to her room. Crossing his arms across his chest, he leaned against the wall of the hallway and allowed his eyes to drift shut. His once quiet life suddenly became much too troublesome.

**-.-**

**AN:** This was such a pain to write—especially to make the conversations believable. All this anger and confusion makes me tired, ha. Also, do forgive the misspellings or grammatical errors. I'm just really too tired to look it over right now.

Many thanks to **xYuzuki17x, ChouRan, **and **icecreamapparition **for your reviews and to my readers. Your support and love is fueling my desire to finish this! So please read and review!


	21. Chapitre 21

**Disclaimers** on everything that I don't own, this includes all of the characters of InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi.

**-.-**

Chapitre Vingt-et-Un,

By Winterwing3000

**-.-**

Ayame looked into the dim hallway as she came out of her room and noticed that it was dark in the living room. She turned on the hallway light and then stared at the other bedroom door. Her frown only deepened.

She came home not too long ago from work and the house was surprisingly empty. She figured that Rin must have stepped out. But when Rin came out of her bedroom and made a beeline toward the kitchen, Ayame was startled. When she tried to stir up a conversation as usual, Rin only smiled tiredly and gave minimal answers before excusing herself back to her room. Normally, she wouldn't think too much on Rin's behavior because the brunette once told her before that writing was a lengthy process which was extremely mentally taxing. Yet something nagged Ayame at the back of her mind, urging her that there was possibly a much deeper reason for the solemn air that hung about Rin's person the two days.

Ayame knew that right now Rin was going through several rough patches at the same time and that she intruded on her roommate's business for long enough. During some points of the events that unfolded, the female ookami felt guilty—especially when she unwittingly handed that personal photo of Rin's to InuYasha. It was obvious that because of the picture, Rin and InuYasha's relationship became more strained. Yet, it was annoying her how oblivious that hanyou was to her friend's feelings.

Sighing, the redhead shook her head clear of the past. Even though Rin never blamed her for it, Ayame knew that she shouldn't have done so. She should and could only do so much, even though she would like to help Rin out more because in the end, it was not her place to stick her nose where it did not belong. She was sure that Rin knew that if there was anything she needed, she could always come and find either her or Kouga for help. But right now, the wolf knew that she did not like the current Rin. She missed the laughs and easy smiles that they shared. Firming her resolve, Ayame trotted over to Rin's closed bedroom door and knocked on it.

Her ears caught the muffled consent and she turned the knob. Smiling widely so that her fangs glinted, Ayame said in a sing-song voice, "Rin-chan! Let's go grab something to eat! It's already dinner time!"

Rin was perched on her bed with her laptop sitting next to her. The room was almost completely enveloped in darkness save the blue glow of her computer screen and the night lamp by the bed. The brunette human smiled lightly at her friend. "Sorry, Ayame-chan, but I don't feel like going out right now. I had a big lunch, so I'm still full."

Ayame pouted at Rin's refusal but tried to persuade her once more. "Are you sure though? We can go grab something yummy, like at that new Mediterranean place that opened up a few streets down! I'll even call up Kouga and he can treat us girls to a few drinks later at the bar you really like!"

"Sorry, Ayame-chan, maybe next time? I really just want to spend some time on my writing," Rin said apologetically.

Ayame caught the slight sound of sadness in her voice as she said that but made no comment about it. Instead, the redhead conceded with the pout intact. "Aw, all right then! I'll bring back some delicious dessert for you then! How does a chocolate cheesecake with strawberries sound?"

"It sounds great, Ayame-chan!" Rin answered in a happier tone. "Thank you! Have a good time with Kouga-kun."

"Thanks! Make sure you eat though, okay?" the female wolf demon said as she wagged her finger in a playfully stern manner at Rin. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye~!" Rin smiled and watched her door close. A few moments later, she heard the front door close with jingling keys. Releasing another heavy sigh that evening, the brunette stared at the black cursor on her computer. It blinked mockingly at her against the blank page.

Ever since she came home, she booted her laptop and opened an editor. Hours later, no words appeared on the screen. Her fingers only rested on top of the keys, but they never applied pressure. Her mind was just muddled with pieces of the conversation before. Her eyes stared dazedly at the blue-white glow as she sank into her subconscious.

Her stomach grumbled in protest suddenly. Rin sat up and looked down at her belly, faintly noting that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Sighing, she dragged herself out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. Her body moved in autopilot as it reached for a bowl and a pack of instant noodles from the cupboard. The kettle was set on the stove and quickly brought the water to a boil. As her eyes measured out the appropriate amount of water into the bowl, Rin watched as the steam rose.

The noodles began to soften in front of her eyes and the seasoning mixture floated on the surface.

_Don't play innocent, Rin. I am not the woman with two men dangling at my fingertips._

Sighing again, Rin dropped her chin to her chest and closed her eyes. Even though it was hard to hear and accept, she couldn't help but feel that Kagome's words rang with some verity. Maybe she shouldn't have prolonged her decision and just cut her ties permanently with both InuYasha and Sesshomaru. If she did that, then she would be trouble free. There would be no need to worry about her mixed feelings for InuYasha or wonder about her budding emotions for Sesshomaru. Not to mention, she would finally have the chance to remove Kagome from her suddenly turbulent life. Would things have been easier if Kagome never showed up, or would they have been just as headache-inducing?

Looking at the steaming bowl of noodles, Rin prodded them with her chopsticks. Once she felt that they were ready, she carefully brought her dinner with her into the living room. She didn't bother turning on the lights in the adjoined room. The kitchen lights spilled partially onto the ground, providing enough illumination for her to see the room with some clarity. The tiny lights and natural light from the window also came into the room. She sat in semi-darkness and her mind shut off all train of thought.

Even as she tried to focus on savoring her meal, the food didn't taste like anything to her. It was almost as if her body ate automatically—her hands lifted the chopsticks and her mouth opened to ingest. Rin was surprised to see that she managed to finish the entire bowl without actually realizing it.

Just as she deposited her empty bowl into the sink, she could hear her cell phone ring shrilly from her room. Thinking it to be something important, Rin nimbly darted to her room and grabbed the gadget from her night table. It was an unknown number.

She hesitated, but answered just before the fifth ring. "Hello?"

"_Rin?_" Her ears perked at the familiar voice on the other side of the line.

"Is it you, InuYasha?"

There was some shuffling on the other side. "_Yeah, it's me. Are you busy?_"

The brunette glanced at her laptop. The blank page still stared at her. She certainly didn't expect him to call her so suddenly. "A little. What's wrong, InuYasha? Are your hurt?"

"_No, I'm okay._" She heard him suck in a deep breath. "_You know what, forget I called._"

Rin bit her lower lip. Even with their current situation, she couldn't help but allow her concern for him speak up. "Don't be silly. You know you can still talk to me if you need to, right? We're still friends…"

"_Heh, you don't sound too sure about yourself there, Rin. I hope it's not because of that bastard's influence_."

"InuYasha," Rin sternly said. But she couldn't help to remember Sesshomaru during his visit yesterday and the offer he made. Why was she still talking with InuYasha when she told Sesshomaru that she wasn't going to in order to ensure fairness in her final decision?

"_Hmph, can you blame me? He could be talking shit about me to you for all I know._"

Sighing, she rubbed her forehead. "InuYasha, I hope you really didn't call me just so you can badmouth Sesshomaru. You know it won't influence my decision."

He snorted on the other side of the line. "_No way. I was just seeing how you're feeling, but it sounds like you're pretty lively. So I guess I'm worrying over nothing._"

"How about you? Are you… Have you seen Kagome-san yet?"

"_Kagome… Yeah, I saw her. Why, did something happen between you and her?_"

How did this always happen to her? Rin frowned at InuYasha's sharpness. Maybe she could pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. "No, why would there be?"

"_There's no reason for you to mention her if something didn't happen!_" He harrumphed. _"This is a stupid conversation to have over the phone. Come meet me in person. I'll wait for you at the park entrance at the end of your street._"

"What? Wait, InuYasha!" Rin said his name several more times but there was only the dial tone.

She stared at the gadget in her hand blankly. Meet up with InuYasha, right now? She sighed. Why didn't he let her tell him no? For him to make her do this, she was finding it hard to forgive herself for breaking the promise that she made with Sesshomaru. If she met up with InuYasha, she knew inside that something definitely was going to shift. Whether it was his feelings or her feelings, she wasn't sure yet. But whose ever it was, her decision at the outcome was definitely going to be harder to make.

Pocketing the phone, she grabbed the first thin sweater from her closet and pulled it on. She powered off her laptop and scribbled a quick note to leave for Ayame in case her roommate came home early. Last thing she needed was to worry the other girl further with her glum behavior by disappearing without notice. Taking her keys from the bowl, she slipped on her worn-out sneakers and locked the door behind her with a quick hiss.

* * *

After hanging up the payphone, InuYasha turned around and headed in the direction of Rin's apartment building. He picked up the pace in order to arrive at the meeting place first. He appreciated the fact that her part of the neighborhood was relatively quiet and had few people about during the dinner hours. It allowed him time to think as he speed walked down the streets.

Just why did he call Rin so suddenly? He still couldn't figure it out. He initially considered calling his mother, to let her know that he was doing well here in New York and that he might be returning to Japan soon. After all, he was sure that she was deeply worried. He didn't have the chance to give her a call since he landed, and it has been nearly a month since he arrived. The last thing he wanted to do was to worry her sick. But just before he dialed, he realized that he didn't have an international phone card. Instead, his fingers pressed the numbers he memorized from yesterday afternoon and the next thing he knew, Rin answered.

It felt comforting to hear her voice. It reminded him of home, of the happy times they had before their world turned upside down. Suddenly, Kagome and her cold eyes came to mind. His ears drooped slightly at the thought of the other woman. They had happy times as well, yet it seemed that neither of them was smiling any more. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. How did it come to this?

Taking a left, he scoured the nearby area with his eyes before catching movement in the shadows ahead. He stopped underneath a tall lamppost and watched carefully as the person closed the distance. It was Rin. He could hear her heart beating just a tad quicker than normal, telling him that she also came over here in a hurry. He took a step forward. "Yo."

Rin slowed down her trot to a walk in order to calm her breathing. She waved in greeting. "Hey InuYasha."

He looked off to the side, suddenly awkward in her presence. "Sorry for calling you out so randomly."

"It's not a problem," answered Rin. She couldn't meet his eyes either. "I was worried about you, too. But I wasn't expecting your call so soon, did something happen?"

She knew that he couldn't possibly call her out of the blue to check on her. There was something on his mind and it was bothering him enough to seek her out. But InuYasha avoided the question and suggested, "Why don't we find a place to sit?"

"Ah, okay," she agreed unsurely. They went past the entrance of the park and found a bench not too far. The park was still lively with couples and musicians but they all seemed to fade into the background as they sat down, both not facing each other.

Rin squirmed and fiddled with the zipper of her sweater. Why was it suddenly so difficult to raise a subject? They were friends since childhood and spoke to each other about everything, yet why couldn't they look at each other in the eyes? Stamping down her sudden insecurities, she mustered the courage to break the silence. "InuYasha…"

"Rin," InuYasha said simultaneously and they turned to face each other. Their gazes held for several seconds before Rin cracked a smile and he snorted at the situation. He told her, "You first."

"Hm, what's troubling you?" She hesitantly inquired. "And don't say 'nothing' because it's written all over your face that there is something."

The half-demon exhaled loudly and leaned back into the bench as his golden eyes stared up at the dark sky above. "I don't know… I guess I just had a lot on my mind after running into Kagome."

"When did you run into her?" Her curiosity got the best of her, even though it felt like she shouldn't be asking.

"Funnily, not too long after I left your place that morning," he told her. Awkward tension hung between them as they recalled the events that transpired between them. She was jealous of his hearing suddenly, because she was sure that he heard her heart skip a beat yet she couldn't tell if he was thinking about that kiss as well.

To break the lapse, he added glumly, "We fought, terribly. I'm pretty sure I became a jerk in her eyes."

Even though she wanted to pry deeper and ask what he might possibly have said to make Kagome change her mind of him, Rin refrained. It was clearly making InuYasha upset for him to even think of the conversation. She wanted to help him and comfort him, but she knew if she pressed any further with the topic, she might say something she might not mean. Guilt started to creep into her heart. She knew that somehow InuYasha's sudden bout of melancholy was partially her fault and right now, his feelings were more important than hers.

"You should probably have a heart-to-heart conversation with Kagome-san," Rin told him as she looked at her kicking feet. "Maybe there are things that are misunderstood in between the both of you. I'm sure you both can reconcile."

"For us to reconcile…" InuYasha trailed off, lost in thought momentarily. "Keh, that seems unlikely for us now that we've reach this point. I told her that I wanted to break off the engagement, this time for sure."

His expression became so glum that Rin wondered if he was beginning to regret his decision to end his relationship with Kagome. Knowing that, it made her feel guilty. The words that slipped from her lips surprised even her. "At least try and see if you can patch up your relationship—see if you both can still be friends or not. I'm sure Kagome-san still wants to talk to you, face to face. After all, I can tell that she still loves you."

Immediately, InuYasha looked at her with suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"The truth is, I met with Kagome-san yesterday," admitted Rin. Her heart rate picked up when a scowl covered his face. She quickly continued, "She wanted to speak to me and I agreed. We talked and I could tell that she still loves you, very much even though you've hurt her deeply."

"Kagome," he muttered her under his breath. Regret flashed through his eyes. "I can't face her, not after what I've said to her. She made it pretty clear to me that she was no longer interested in talking to me anymore."

"InuYasha…" She frowned at his behavior. This was not the stubborn childhood friend of hers. InuYasha never gave up on things dear to him, she saw that first hand. He was confused, she was confused, and Kagome was also probably confused. She shouldn't have come out to see him because they all needed time to think and to get this matter between them resolved. It wasn't just about her feelings anymore—it involved a lot more now. InuYasha, Kagome, Sesshomaru. How did it get to this point in her life where it seemed as if she had to weigh between her own happiness and the happiness of others?

"I have to go," she said abruptly to InuYasha. She stood up from the bench and looked at him, a storm of thoughts brewing in her own eyes. "I need to finish up with some work."

"Rin, wait." InuYasha stood up and grabbed hold of her wrist. His golden eyes pierced her brown ones. "You never answered me."

"Answered you? About what?" Rin was confused as she tried to remember just what he was referring to.

"My," he stumbled over his words as if embarrassed. "That time, at the park. When I, when I said that to you."

"That time…" She knew what he was talking about now and for some reason, she only felt anxious. "InuYasha, please, not now."

"And why not?" The hanyou argued. "I know that you said you'll give me an answer about whether you'll be coming home with me later, but this is different."

"It has a lot to do with it, too much in fact," the woman countered softly and sighed. "Right now, I don't want to say anything that might influence your actions or my decision. Just know that I still consider you my best friend—as for something more, I still need time. I'm sorry."

He released a frustrated growl. "Do you really need to think about it? I just need an answer—do you still love me?"

* * *

Depositing his briefcase onto the floor by his desk, Sesshomaru loosened the tie around his neck and undid the first two buttons on his shirt. The second quarter reports were due soon and the executive board and trustee board were not satisfied with the current sales. Sighing quietly, he pushed back his bangs. There were further details to work out, but he did not feel like looking at any more paperwork.

Instead, he looked at the pristine envelope sitting on his desk and the two additional tickets peeking out from the envelope. The invitation was still left unfilled and the complimentary tickets were mocking him.

After InuYasha left his home last evening, he retired to his room and thought long and hard. He knew that if he were to delay any further his plans any further, all of his questions would never be answered nor would his curiosity be quenched. Yet, he had a feeling if he moved further with his plans the consequences might be severe especially if Rin found out.

Could he afford such a risk? Sesshomaru pulled out the RSVP card and stared at the embossed letters.

Picking up a pen, he took off the cap and hesitated for a moment before filling it out entirely. Once he was finished, he capped it and set it aside. As for the two tickets, he grabbed them and inserted them into his shirt pocket. His feet turned toward the door and directed him to the only occupied guestroom.

The door was left ajar and he could see his guest sprawled out on her bed while looking up at the ceiling blankly. He knocked and she looked over. Quickly, the dark-haired woman sat up and fixed her hair and straightened out her clothes.

"How can I help you, Sesshomaru-san?" asked Kagome. Sesshomaru took that as her invitation to push the door fully open. He stayed by the entrance.

"Why are you not with InuYasha?" he questioned though he knew the answer. "He is the person you were looking for, wasn't he?"

"Uh, yes, he is," she answered cautiously. "But we've gotten into a fight, and are not on speaking terms at the moment."

Sesshomaru commented, "It concerned Rin, didn't it?"

Her attention snapped onto him. "How did you know…?"

He waved aside her curiosity. "Rin has told me a bit of the history between the three of you."

"Ha, history," Kagome muttered angrily. "More like the drama that she's caused me and InuYasha to go through."

"Why not just leave, then?" Sesshomaru said suggestively. "You have found him, but you obviously are pained with each encounter that you have with that hanyou. He has no desire to be at your side any longer, so why not return to Japan and forget him?"

"Hmph, you just want me out of your hair," Kagome retorted. But then her expression fell. "You make it sound so easy to forget someone who was so dear and someone who managed to hurt me so deeply."

"Then why prolong your pain by staying? What other purpose do you have now that he has turned your back to you?" He asked offhandedly. "You have lost InuYasha. You can only accept defeat and return."

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my problems? Before, you barely give me the time of day and even brushed me off when I tried to thank you. Now, you become my love doctor. Did you hit your head or something?" she asked him dubiously. "If you wanted me to leave, you can just come out and say it."

"I merely think you pitiful to waste your time over a half-breed. Then again, perhaps you both are a match, to be chasing dreams you cannot achieve." Sesshomaru smirked.

Irritated, Kagome sat up straight and said, "Look, Sesshomaru-san, if you have nothing better to talk to me about, please leave me alone. Or please just tell me what you really want to say, Sesshomaru-san. I am really not in the mood to have this kind of conversation right now."

"Very well," he agreed as he stepped into her room. "In my hands, I have something which can possibly bring closure to you and InuYasha."

Now her irritation faded and curiosity peaked. "Closure for me and InuYasha? That's impossible. It probably won't happen even if you had the miracle herb. I've given up on him completely."

"It doesn't seem that way to me, not with the way you are moping around," he commented snidely. "If you truly gave up on him, you would be packing your bags and flying back to Japan now. Not here in my house."

Now exasperated, Kagome pointed her finger at him at glared. "Look, if you want me out of your house, just say it. You don't have to keep rubbing it in about InuYasha."

"I'm merely seeing how much fire you have left," Sesshomaru answered coolly. "Whatever. It's none of my business if you choose to sever ties with the hanyou or not. I am only here to offer you the opportunity to meet him in person once more to make your final decision."

She watched nervously as he walked into her room and stopped by the dressing table. "What opportunity would that be then? And why are you doing this? You just said it's none of your business."

Sesshomaru reached into the front pocket of his shirt and pulled out two slips. "There are two tickets to an art gala. You can choose to invite him or not. The setting is formal enough that he will not cause a scene, but informal enough for both of you to talk freely without disturbance. Think of it as a parting gift from me."

"Art gala?" Kagome wondered about that. InuYasha was never the type of person who would willingly go to an event such as that without being threatened or forcefully persuaded. Did she even want to see him, after what he said to her?

She had to admit that when she suddenly saw him in front of her yesterday it took most of her willpower to not be furious and to not break down in front of him. Part of her wanted to physically throttle him but another part of her wanted to cry. Neither of which she wanted to show him.

Suddenly a thought crept up on her. "Wait, aren't you afraid that InuYasha will take Rin away from you? You love her, don't you?"

"That situation can be easily avoided if you were to attend then, wouldn't it?" He told her smoothly. "You both can make amends and return to Japan together and pretend that this trip to New York never happened. You will have your fiancé back at your side and Rin will no longer be a bother to either of you."

"So basically you want me to persuade InuYasha to come back to Japan with me so that he won't get in the way of Rin and you?" Kagome asked him suspiciously. That did sound very tempting, but with the impasse she and InuYasha were at currently, it sounded very difficult to achieve.

"Think of it as your chance to reconcile your relationship with him. I am sure that you are not the kind of woman to give up easily, am I correct? Therefore, it is up to you. The ball is in your court." Sesshomaru exited her room without another word and walked back into his study.

Once inside the room, his hands clenched at his sides as he stared down at the fancy cream-colored invitation with the RSVP card. His name was printed on the line and on the line for his guest's name, he printed Rin's name.

Soon, all the players would gather and the pieces would fall into place. If all went accordingly, it would be his game. No, he would definitely make sure that he came out the victor. There was no time or room for errors, not with all he was putting up at stake.

In her room, Kagome stared at the two slips of paper on the vanity. She stood up and walked over to further examine the words on them. The gala was on Thursday evening, which meant two days from tonight. She assumed that there was no dress code, seeing as how the ticket mentioned public admission.

Now all she had to do was decide whether she wanted to see InuYasha once more.

With the tickets in hand, she returned to the bed and fell back onto it. Cradling them to her chest, Kagome curled into a fetal position and pressed a button on her cell phone from Japan. The screen brightened the background image of InuYasha and her in an embrace underneath the blooming cherry trees.

Deep, deep inside her heart, she knew the answer.

"InuYasha…"

* * *

**AN:** We are drawing ever closer to the end (thank goodness)! Also, while I'm pretty proud of myself to have gotten these two chapters out, it'll be a while till the next one.

Many thanks to** xYuzuki17x, I love Siberian tigers, icecreamapparition, **and **L.H **for your reviews and to my readers. Your support and love is fueling my desire to finish this! So please read and review!


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